Winds of Fate: The X Factor (Teen Titans)

[Destiny_Smasher]

Well, now, after months of trying to register for these boards for the sole purpose of getting this fanfic up, let's see what happens...:sweat:
I could type some insanely long explanation as to the origins of this fanfic, etc., but, for now, I won't bother.

If people actually start reading it, I may explain a bit behind its purpose.

What you need to know?

-This fic takes place right after Season 1 of Teen Titans.

-This fic directly ties in with 'Quest for a Destiny!', a very large fanfic crossover project I have spent almost 4 years on so far altogether.

-This fic does contain spoilers for any Teen Titans fan who doesn't want anything ruined. This includes spoilers of later episodes, too. I would explain this, as well, but you'll just have to find out as you read.

- This fic contains explicit language, but I wouldn't say it's packed with it. Also, later on, there is some semi-graphic violence. I don't know what level it will reach, but it won't be meaningless. Anyway, just to be safe, this story is intended for teenage audiences and older.

For now, I'll post up the Prologue, and I'll go from there. If there are any questions, do feel free to ask, either here or by E-Mail. I'd be very happy to clear up anything, as this fic has a lot of things going on when it picks up.

Anyway, here you go. Enjoy it.

Oh! Almost forgot...I guess the best rating for this would be Teen. It contains some foul language here and there, and I guess some stuff later on will be kind of...not-for-little-kid material.

I'm aiming for a teenage audience here.

---*<Begin Transmission>*---

The Q4D! Saga...

Winds of Fate: The X Factor

Prologue- Wind's Whispers

The city was deep and relaxed, in its prime time. The glowing rays of the sun had just fled from the navy skies, and small traces of them remained, stretching out their fingers to the residents of the city.

The day had been a calm and peaceful one, and for the Titans, that was good and plenty. Not a speck of villainy was to be spotted all day, despite their patrols. And so, they rested on a triangular rooftoop, starving to eat their long-awaited dinner.

The air was rather warm and inviting, the summer zephyrs pleasant to the touch. A nice, long breeze flew by, and a slightly tan-skinned girl with deep red hair smiled as she felt it pass over her. She had eyes that glowed with emotion, and had a dainty-looking form. She sat patiently, her arms folded in her lap neatly. She was being relatively quiet, abosorbing in the atmosphere.

However, she was quickly broken out of her evening dream as bitter voices began to puncture her thoughts.

"NO! Listen, man, I WILL NOT eat meat!!" came a kind of high and defensive tone.

"Come ON, B, just this once?!" a deep, smooth voice spoke back.

The owner of the first voice was standing up, his hands on the table, his face beginning to fume a bit. He was a little unique in comparison to other people, for he was green. His eyes were very expressive and wild. He was Beastboy, a marvel with the power to transform into creatures at will. Very flexible in combat situations.

"No is NO, Cyborg! You KNOW there's no point, so give it up, man!" he grumbled to the broad person who sat to his left on the circular, red table.

In physical appearence, he was a machine, but at heart, he was human. Composed of metal, plastic, wires, ciruitry, skin, and flesh, he was an odd sight. But a formidible foe, for sure. He had a spirit as tough as the steel that plated his head. And his eyes...One was a glowing red light, the other a sharp human one. Any flesh that was shown on him was of a brown color. He was Cyborg.

"Oh, PLEASE! Every damn time we order pizza, I never get my meat! I need my protein! Why do you keep denying me the "All Meat Experience"?! Come on, I'll pay for my own, just lemme me eat some red stuff, for Superman's sake!"

He was getting a little worked up, and it showed as one of his super-strength arms pounded into the table, shaking it a little more than was neccessary. His face got nervous immediately, and he scanned around in shock, hoping he hadn't drawn too much attention.

A calm and relaxed tone came from Cyborb's left, and it's owner had an exhausted look about him.

"Guys...Can't we just order? It's really not that hard a task..." He let out a deep sigh and slumped over in his seat, resting his head in his arms, which were folded across the plastic table.

The red-haired girl cleared her throat and proposed timidly, "I am eager to experiment upon our pizza with some mint frosting..."

Beastboy and Cyborg, who had just began to bicker a bit more stared at her dully, and BB muttered, as if this was routine, "Star...Mint frosting ISN'T a topping on pizza...Remember...?"

Starfire, an alien being with super natural powers, let out a disappointed sigh and murmured politely, "I understand your view, Beastboy, but I do not understand...Is there a law somewhere that states that mint frosting is not permitted to be placed on pizza...?"

Beastboy gave her the most puzzled look any of them had shown all day, and he couldn't come up with an answer.

"Uh..." He blinked a few times in confusion, and the leader of their little band came in to settle the matter. His eyes were cloaked by a black mask of sorts, which only covered them, so they appeared as white spaces on his face. He had messy, black hair, and a tight outfit of red and green, with a yellow belt and cape to finish it off. He was Robin, the leader of the Titans.

"OK, listen...Starfire...MOST people don't eat...minty...stuff...on their pizza...Then again, most people don't drink MUSTARD..." he paused a moment to reflect. "But ya know what, Star? You're not normal. Psh," he chuckled warmly, "NONE of us are normal, let's face it!"

A few laughes came out from the bunch, except one. She had remained still and silent for the past while, not even moving. She sat in her seat, her eyes closed, her hands stretched out in a meditative pose. She had dark and depressing eyes and shining, silver hair which ran down to her shoulders. Those eyes were almost expressionless at the time, which was what she was trying to acheive. She was Raven, by far the most mysterious of the group.

Out of nowhere, it seemed, she suddenly burst out a comment. It was monotone and dim, but a comment, nonetheless. Her voice also had a slight bit of raspyness to it. Just barely.

"...Why don't we just order and get out of here...?"

Starfire let out a sigh and answered, "I apologize for the inconvenience, friends. I was merely making a suggestion."

"No, no, no, wait," Robin spat out, waving his arms around. "Ya know what, guys? How long has it been since STARFIRE got to choose the pizza?"

There was utter silence as the others stared in dismay, almost knowing what was about to happen.

"We're supposed to be a team, and teams are fair, right?"

...

Robin cleared his throat, uncomfortable from the lack of communication. Starfire, meanwhile, was staring at him expectantly.

"Right...So, I say we let Star pick tonight." He coughed out a bit as he finished by saying, "Mint frosting it is..."

There were no objections, at least not any verbal ones, and the long-haired girl was delighted.

"Oh, Robin, I thank you dearly! Thank you, friends, for joining me in my curiosity!"

"No prob," Cyborg murmured dully.

"You bet," Beastboy muttered, his eyes wandering.

"Mm hm," Raven hummed, as plain as ever.

Robin sucked in a deep breath, laid back in his seat and mumbled, "See? Now, was that so hard...?"

*<------>*

A set of shining, solid teeth sliced apart the odd food viciously, and the tongue that rested within the mouth seemed pleased. His partially mechanic arm reached out for another piece of this strange delight, his mouth watering for more.

"Man!" he cried, shaking his head in astonishment. "This is pretty GOOD!"

"Really," Beastboy agreed, his voice muffled from the sea-green plastered pizza in his jaws.

Raven's narrow eyes were glaring at the unique food in dismay, and she seemed to be pondering whether or not to try any. If she didn't QUICK, it was all going to be gone.

"Not hungry, Raven?" Robin muttered, noticing her statue state.

She didn't reply, nor did she acknowledge his existence- but Robin was used to that, and let her continue.

Starfire's gleeful eyes sparkled with happiness as she let her jaws dive into her third slice of 'Pizza a la Mint'.

"Whoa, Star," Beastboy chuckled, having just completed his first piece. "Don't wanna choke on that..."

Starfire began to attempt to speak, but realized that her mouth was full- a rude gesture, if her memories on American Culture were correct. It was hard, trying to remember all of their odd customs. But Starfire had an excellent memory, and was motivated just by the chance to learn something new.

After having gulped the food hastily, she let out a few coughs, her hands slapping her face to stop any material from flying around.

Beastboy almost jumped out of his seat, but before anyone got worried, Starfire cleared her throat and murmured, "Sorry," her face beet red.

With a nervous laugh, BB sat back down, sighing of relief.

"See?" he muttered, shaking his head. "I'll admit, though, Star, this is wicked stuff..."

The green monster rubbed his gloved hands together and grabbed his second slice eagerly, while Cyborg was working on his third, not bothering to pay any heed to those around him.

Raven finally decided to wait until they got home to eat, and began to meditate once again.

Starfire stared at the creation before her in thought, then her eyes lit up. She raised up her hand and waved it a bit, trying to catch some attention from the people wandering around the tables in uniform.

"May I request the presence of a 'waiter'?" she asked loudly, excited.

One responded, and came rushing over to their round, red eating surface.

He was kind of short for his age, and a medium build. About seventeen, from the looks of it. His legs were strong and firm, and his arms were almost equally so. His smile was inviting, and he adorned a white sweatshirt and slightly baggy blue jeans. White rubber gloves were on his hands, meant to prevent any of his skin from getting on food. A black baseball cap with the words, 'Pie in the Sky' printed in crimson red on its surface rested on his mess of light brown hair. The same logo was also on his white shirt. He almost had sideburns, and slight traces of black hairs were visible under his nose. His nose, in fact, was kind of round and slightly large. He spoke out to them in a casual tone.

"What can I do for ya, Miss?"

Starfire blushed at him, feeling slightly odd inside at first, but she dismissed the feeling as best she could and made her request.

"Dear serviceman, may you deliver a bottle of...-" She had to think a minute to remember the word for it. "-mustard...please?"

The teen worker paused, quickly surveyed the food upon the table in perplexment, but shrugged and nodded.

"Uh...Sure, Miss...Comin' right up. Just gimme a sec, okey dokey?"

Starfire nodded, smiling at the waiter warmly. "Many thanks, Sir..." she murmured, trying to pry her eyes away from his own. There was something about them...They glimmered with mystery and spirit, almost like the stars themselves. When Starfire stared into them, she felt a surge of emotion flood into her. It was strange to her, indeed. The other Titans didn't seem to notice all too much- they were too busy scarfing down mint pizza.

Starfire watched the young man walk off toward the counter near the roof's edge, and she noticed that in his big back pocket there was nestled another hat. A bright red one.

She then realized in dismay that the pizza was almost gone, and reached out to snatch a last to herself, placing it on her plate gingerly.

"Who's that guy?" Robin muttered, staring at the waiter curiously. "Haven't seen him around..."

Starfire paused, unsure herself.

"Must be new here," Beastboy suggested with a shrug, a piece of baked dough covered in green cream in his grip.

"Yea," Robin mumbled with a shrug. They came to this place frequently, and new faces didn't appear all too often.

Starfire waited patiently, not even looking at her pizza. Her eyes were up in the air as she pondered who this person was. For some reason, he struck her as a very unqiue person. Different from everyone else there. It was quite puzzling to her...

Her thoughts were popped like a bubble when a yellow tube with a sharp, pointed top was placed before her, and that odd boy gave her a grin.

"There ya go!" he declared. "Have a nice night, guys..."

"Will do," BB cried as the figure began to walk away, leaving Starfire feeling a bit shaken by his sudden presence.

Beastboy's eyes glanced over at Starfire, who, no pun intended, looked starstruck. He let out a chuckled and poked out playfully at his red-headed friend.

"My, he was nice." Starfire's shimmering eyes met his for a moment. They were narrow and sly, as he raised his brows up and down in a joking manner.

"Um..." She did not quite know how to take this gesture, and decided to pass it off.

Raven was too busy muttering to herself in deep thought, Cyborg was too busy engulfing mint pizza with his jaws, and Robin was too deeply lost in the atmosphere of the evening- so none of them noticed Starfire gleefully squeezing mustard onto her already...unique pizza.

Beastboy stared at her like she was insane, realized she was STARFIRE, and proceeded to eat his own pizza without a second thought.

Starfire scrambled to get a sufficient amount of the yellow stuff on her food, and she lifted it to her lips and opened the 'hatch doors.' However, just before it arrived on her tongue, a sound shattered their dinner.

It was a scream. A female one, coming from about a hundred yards in front of her, and about ten stories down. The pizza slipped out of her hands and plopped on her plate in surprise. Why now, of all times?

Robin jumped like a bolt of lightning and cried out, "Titans...Moof!!" There was still some pizza leftover in his mouth.

One by one, they all snapped into action, bounding away to fight the crime that dared to intrude on their evening. Starfire lagged behind by a second or two as she swallowed her piece in two bites and soared off like a bird.

The teen who had served them a minute ago spun around in alarm, sensing that someone was in danger. His eyes shimmered with seriousness, and he reached up his arm to remove the brand-name cap from his head.

It slapped against the cement floor gentley, and the boy tore the white gloves from his hands, letting them land softly next to the hat. He ripped off his white sweatshirt to reveal a crimsom red tee shirt. Now that the white shirt was gone, you could see that his blue denim jeans were in reality overalls, and two straps loosely hung over his shoulders, golden, shining buttons holding them in place.

He began to pound his black-sneakered feet against the stone beneath him, and he reached out into his huge back pocket to pull out that bright red hat. He shook it a bit, trying to unfold it, and he placed it on his head roughly, fastening it a little as he reached the building's edge.

His cap was completely red, except for a spot on his forehead- a white semi-circle rested there, and printed in this space was a big, almost glowing red 'M'.

"Time to get down to business," he muttered to himself as he tossed his body off the building nimbly, soaring down to the chaotic streets below.

---<*>---

End Transmission

---<*>---

What do you think so far? We've touched nothing, of course, this is just introducing the main characters, I guess.

By the way, any guesses as to who this figure is? This is a DC comics place, but I'm sure the basic image must be familiar to some of you.

If you guessed Mario- Nintendo's mascot- you'd be correct.

That's all I'll say for now, but there is quite a story behind it, indeed.:evil:

[oneeyemonkeypie]

WAHHHHH! Teenage mario!? WEEEEE!
where did you come up with that idea???

oh man, I almost fell outta my chair reading that.
*phew* I gonna need a minute.

I'm guessing you got an explanation? (Starfire making goo-goo eyes at mario? definately didn't see that one coming.)

I never thought about it, but mario would have superpowers compared to an average person. Nice first chap. If you've been working on it for years, then I assume you have some more chapters. post them frequently.

Also-Raven's hair is blue, not silver.

Ps.-Is pie in the sky a reference to Oasis? I remember one of their songs was like that.

[Crowgirl]

[QUOTE=oneeyemonkeypie]WAHHHHH! Teenage mario!? WEEEEE!
where did you come up with that idea???

I'm guessing you got an explanation? (Starfire making goo-goo eyes at mario? definately didn't see that one coming.)

QUOTE]

I totally agree with oneeyemonkeypie. Where's luigi?

That's really good, you've got their personalities down well. Just please, don't break Robin's heart.

Oh yeah about Mario, maybe he's new because he used to be the pizza place's plumber?:D

[Destiny_Smasher]

Geez, I wasn't expecting so many replies so quickly...But, hell, no complaints here!

Um...Well, I figured that the Prologue would indeed spark curiosity.

Now, then...

To clear up some misconception...

I haven't been working on this single fic for years. This fic is ONE PART of a HUGE crossover project I've been working on for years called 'Quest for Destiny!'

'Winds of Fate' is the division that it falls under- simply put, a division for shorter novels that focus only on a certain group of characters rather than the ENTIRE cast, which is currently comprised of over 50 characters that all have roles that intertwine with each other who I keep tabs on to the best of my ability...

Um...

I'd link to my other fiction, but I'll wait a while first. :evil: Wouldn't want you reading everything in a day, there'd be no suspense.

That was the prologue, by the way- I'm currently working on Chapter 12, and they only get longer as I go. I have been working on this particular fic over the course of a year now, though, along with two others.

Yes, I did make Starfire a bit shy about Mario, but don't worry about that, because one main aspect of this fic is a Robin/Starfire relationship.

I'd tell you more about important elements, but that would ruin it, so that's all I'll tell you for now.

Concerning 'Luigi, Bowser,' etc...

You'll just have to wait in see. ^_^ But you will be surprised, I can assure you.

And another thing- this fic DIRECTLY ties into my main one, and the whole idea is to focus on how the Teen Titans enter my main work. Bear that in mind.

But I can assure you this- the questions will be answered sooner or later, so just be patient.

I'm roughly halfway through the fic, and awesome ideas just keep flooding out, and I know you'll enjoy what I have in store.

*cough*

Whoa, there I go ranting again. You probably want to see Chapter 1, huh? :sad: Yeaaa....

For the record, I wrote the Prologue over a YEAR ago, when Raven was my least favorite. I didn't quite understand her back then, so I didn't really like her a lot...

However, as I wrote about her in my fiction, she quickly became one of my favorite fantasy characters.

Her hair isn't really blue, either...I consider it to be more of a silvery-blue, but...It's not really all too important, now is it?

---*<Begin Transmission>*---

The Q4D! Saga...

Winds of Fate: The X Factor

Chapter 1- Crossroads of Chaos

A maniacal chuckle erupted from the creature before them as he pulverized Cyborg, senting the mechanical young man flying into a parked car. The impact was rough, and the car was crushed with a loud crunching sound.

The laugh was high, quick, and frightening- but the Titans were anything but cowardly.

It's owner was a thin and lanky fellow. He had very skinny arms and legs, and a tall head. Long, thin locks of pale green hair dangled down over his face, each one reaching almost to his feet. They flew around crazily as he moved. His eyes were wide and insane, and his grin was equally so- though it was much dirtier looking than his eyes. He had a long, pointy nose, like a cone. His outfit was one made almost entirely of treebark, oddly enough.

He let out another psychotic giggle as Raven blasted a shadowy fire hydrant at him, which she had ripped from the sidewalk with her powers.

The villain simply lashed out one of his arms, which amazingly stretched out like a whip, and lashed the hydrant back at her with stunning force and accuracy. Raven was caught off guard at close range, and she, too, was knocked backward.

The other Titans were working on hacking away this creeps small army of freaks. Each one looked like a little tree- like him- but they weren't as tall, and much weaker than he. In numbers, however, they were becoming a nuisance.

"What's UP with these things?!" Beastboy cried as he transformed into a green and black panda, scarfing them down like snacks.

"I have not the slightest clue," Starfire admitted in a shout as she fried about five of them with a nicely aimed beam of energy. She shot it from her palms, and it exploded upon contact with the black pavement.

Robin was a little distant from them, and handling himself just fine. He'd kick one, punch another, lash out his boomerang at the next...They were small fry. But they were getting ANNOYING.

Just as his fist bashed into one's head, crushing it into a mushy gree pulp, Robin looked up when he heard a shrill cry.

It was the boss of these creatures, and he looked satisfied as a few of his odd, vine-like locks of hair joined together to form a thick rope, which wrapped around Robin, clutching his tight.

He couldn't break free, though he struggled. His body was lifted into the air, and he grunted in annoyance, helpless.

An innocent face stared in shock when it realized what had just happened, and a gasp erupted from its mouth.

"Robin!" a sweet voice cried in fright. "Do not worry, Robin, I am coming!"

As she sped through the air, her hands out sharply, her shining red hair flapped like mad. As she closed in on the target, green orbs of light and heat formed in her fists, and she prepared to let them fly. However, she didn't notice the pointy object that came whizzing straight at her until it was too late. A sharp dart of sorts struck her in the neck, and she cried out in pain as some strange substance seeped into her body. Whatever it was, it made her fall asleep in a matter of seconds. Her body was speeding through the air at a high velocity, but was snatched by one of the villain's vines like a frog's tongue on a fly.

Another squeaky snicker poured out from the oddball's mouth as he danced with glee, two of the five in his possession.

Robin continued to fight, but he could feel his body numbing, as well.

"DUDE!" Beastboy cried, nimbly leaping over some of the sproutling freaks and dashing at the creature.

"You're gonna be sorry, man!" he declared boldly, as he hunched over and tranformed into an emerald-colored bear, running as he did so.

"I ain't out for the count just yet!" came the booming voice of Cyborg as he, too, came rushing in, his arm extended in its cannon form.

As the two came dashing in, the lanky man had to think fast.

He came up with his strategy as large, neon blue beams of plasma came soaring at his face, directly from Cyborg's arm.

The clever woodland guy stuck out his odd nose, letting it absorb the impact in full.

"YEA, baby!" Cyborg cheered- but too soon. He skidded to a halt as he noticed the stranger's cone-shaped nose was glowing blue, and he looked unharmed.

"Aw, ****," he mumbled to himself in dismay, as his own attacks were used against him, the power of all of his shots ramming into his body at once in a turrent of blue.

He twitched like crazy, his system scrambled, and collapsed to the pavement.

The half-man, half-tree whirled around to see this green bear lunging for him, but was prepared. As he had reflected Cyborg's attacks with his nose, his arms and dug into his huge mess of 'hair' and pulled out two large beehives.

The beehives were launched liek bombs at Beastboy, who snarled in surprise as they exploded with insects. At first he continued, as if they ahdn't hit, but he quickly realized these weren't ordinary bees. The green and white striped bugs injected his body with the ame toxin that had struck Starfire and Robin, and he soon warped back to his neautral self, rolling into the ground harshly.

In utter joy, the madman scooped these two new trophies up, very pleased with himself, and let loose one of his insane laughs. But a slightly scratchy tone interrupted his fun.

"...A word of advice...Stop giggling like a child...And cut your hair while you're at it..."

It was Raven, who came gliding toward the beast, ready to avenge her fallen comrades, who were all knocked out cold.

The tree-man snorted in defiance and prepared to lash out his vines. But as they whipped through the sky, they smacked harslhy against the black barrier that raven had formed around her body.

"Nice try," she muttered, raising her palms.

She blasted the group of vines back with a little effort, and swerved around the creature, ready to strike.

But this criminal was not ready to give up just yet. He still had some more tricks.

His nose- that odd and bulbous monstrsity- began to pulse a purple color, and he focused his sights on following this pale-skinned girl as she came in for the kill.

But when Raven was about to dish out her power, a purple missile punctured her forcefield, shattering it like glass. Her foe's flying nose exploded in a cloud of purple dust, and Raven fought to stay in control of her body. But her eyes were blinded, they stung...She felt herself give in to this strange poison...

And the last of the Titans fell to the clutches of this psychopath.

He screamed in delight at the task he had accomplished. For months he'd developed his tactics, ready to annialate the Teen Titans. It had paid off.

"MREHEHEEEEEHEEEEEE!!" he wailed joyfully. "The pathetic Titans have fallen to the hands of the WHOMPING WILLOW!!"

As a barrage of frightening laughed flew into the air, the man danced around, waving the teens in the air within the grip of his long hair.

"Dammit, do I hate it when they talk in third person like that," someone muttered to himself as he stormed onto the scene.

It was the strange waiter from the 'Pie in the Sky' pizza parlor, garbed in his unique outfit.

He landed on the pavement nimbly, absorbing the fall with ease. As he rose up in an erect position, he straightened his red cap, which looked maroon in the early night's dim light.

He stood tall, his fists clenched, about twenty feet away from the Whomping Willow. His eyes were slightly glazed, and righteous justice emitted from him. Some of his fluffy brown hair poked out of the back of his hat, and it rustled in the air gentley.

The 'gifted' tree glared at him in utter surprise and confusion.

"What is this?!" he shrieked. "Who are YOU?" The bark-covered man crouched slightly in a defensive position.

The teen before him put up his fists before his face, stared him down cooly, and responded with a calm grin about him.

"My name's Mario...And I'm your worst nightmare, pal..."

*\<------>/*

Pain. It burned through his whole body as it woke up groggily. The pain was unbearable, coarsing all around him. He let out a moan and tried to open his eyes. But when he did, light began to flood in, which caused even more irritation. He squinted them shut again in agony, and growled slightly.

His ears were functioning fine, though, and he could make out voices coming from around him. The first one to meet his eardrums was very sweet, gentle, and sounded a little timid.

"They'll be fine...I'll do what I can..."

Another one responded from a little farther away. This one was kind of cocky, almost. It had spunk and attitude to it, but also a firm sense of justice and freedom.

"Don't worry too much. You look too tense. Just relax, and do what ya do..."

She hummed shyly back, "Mm hm..."

Suddenly, Robin felt a warm breeze blow by him, and he felt his pain begin to melt away. It was gradual, but he could definitely feel it. He was dying to open his eyes, but he did so slower this time. They adjusted to the light well, and he could make out figures standing around him, though it took a while to see the details, as everything was still blurry.

As it turned out, Robin was laying on a carpeted floor in a warm and oddly familiar room. His good pals were sprawled all along the floor of the room, slowly gaining conciousness. Robin was finally able to sit up, but not too fast. Pain was still clear and present, but not so much so, and the memories of what had just happened flashed through his brain like lightning. As quickly as these thoughts flew into his brain, his body was up on its feet, and he was scanning his environs frantically.

In amazement, he soon realized exactly where he was...The living room of Titan Tower. Cyborg was hunched over the round coffee table. Starfire was lying on the red couch. Raven was in the recliner off to the side, and Robin could only see her chin, as her head was propped back. Beastboy was on the ground beside Robin, and the leader of the Titans was now standing in shock, staring at the big screen before him. He was breathing heavily, and realized he was still pretty worn out from his previous fight.

"Whoa, there, buddy," came the male voice Robin had heard. He felt two firm hands latch onto his shoulders, which made him twirl around in fright with a cry.

The figure before him was a teenage boy, about his height. Robin didn't focus on details at the moment- all he knew was that a stranger was in his house.

"Geez, cool yer jets, bro," the kid eased him, sticking his palms out like a sheild. "You still look kinda banged up. Might wanna sit down a bit, huh?"

"Who are you?!" Robin spat out suddenly, backing away a little bit in alarm.

The stranger sighed with a smile, shaking his head slowly.

"Dude, just chill, OK?"

Robin paused, calming slightly. Something about this kid let him know that they were on the same side. It was his face, his sharp expression. The jade eyes that radiated attitude.

The leader sucked in a deep breath, noticing that everyone else was still out of it, and returned his gaze to this odd teen. He didn't look familiar...

Beside his eyes and his arrogant smirk, Robin also noticed he had some small, blach hairs coming out of the bottom of his chin. Poking over his forehead were a few spikey bangs of various sizes. And running down the back of his head was a smooth set of spiney hair that pointed downward, mostly. All of that hair was blue.

He wore a light jacket that was white with puffy blue cuffs. Small yellow lightning bolts ran up his sleeves. In the middle of his chest was a nifty design- a buzzsaw like shape that was a deep blue. A zipper ran down the middle of it. There was no shirt underneath the jacket- not that Robin could notice.

He had sky blue windpantswith white stripes down the sides. On the front of each leg, running lengthwise, the words 'Gotta Jet' were printed in white, block-ish writing. Traces of white socks poked up out of his sneakers, which looked very snazzy.

They were red, with white lines intricately running down them. The heels had glowing greenish circles on their outside.

Robin's breathing was still deep, and he still looked slightly unsure.

The teen rolled his eyes, his arms folded across his chest.

"Listen, buddy, I just helped save your ***** from that gay tree, and ya don't trust me?"

Robin blinked in confusion. RIGHT! That's what happened! They were getting their butts kicked by that freak...

"Wait," he mumbled, puzzled. "YOU beat that guy up?"

The figure shrugged and nodded. "Well, yea, I helped."

Robin blinked a few times, staring at him in awe.

"You mean, after he beat us up, you came in and finished him off...?" Robin felt strange saying that. Since when were there other other heroes in town?

The blue-haired boy nodded slowly, his eyes wide, as if he thought Robin was a moron.

"Yea, pretty much..."

Robin sighed deeply, abosorbing it in. He glanced at all of his comrades, feeling their were all OK. He crossed his arms and paused in thought.

"So..." he began slowly. "Uh...Who are you? Why did you save us...?"

The kid nodded, flashing a cocky grin. He put his fists on his hips and announced his answer boldy.

"I'm Sonic. And I don't need a reason to help people, do I?"

Robin shrugged, feeling that this guy had strong beliefs in justice.

"I guess...W-Wait...So..." He shook his head, sorting all of his thoughts.

"You beat up the villain, and brought us all back here, all single-handedly...?" There was suspicion in his tone.

Sonic chuckled at him and tossed his right arm.

"Psh! I wish! Nah. I've got groupies, ya know!"

Robin froze and quickly searched the room, but they were the only ones there.

"Groupies...? Where are they?"

This Sonic character tapped his fuzzy chin a little and glanced around the room. Sounding a little unsure, he replied.

"Ehhh...Well, I'll bet they're all lookin' for somethin' to eat." A laugh came out. "Yea, especially Mario..."

Robin cocked his head, curious.

"Mario...?"

Sonic turned his head back to Robin and muttered, "Oh, yea. He's our leader and everything..."

Robin grinned in realization.

"So you're telling me you're part of a team of crime-fighters, too?!" he asked eagerly.

Sonic shrugged, and as he answered, he slicked back his hair with his left hand, which was encased in a black biker's glove.

"Guess you could say that..." The spikey-headed kid seemed a tad confused as he pondered the thought. Robin's averted to other matters.

"Allright, so...Everybody's gonna be OK, then?" he checked hastily.

"Oh, sure. Everybody's good. Just need a lil' sleep, ya know?" His green eyes narrowed at Robin's white spaces for eyes. "Speakin' of which, you look like you're really missin' out...You need to take a chill pill and nap, dude."

Robin shook his head, frowning.

"I'm good, don't worry. Listen, you need to show me where these other guys are..."

Sonic let his arms drop and tilted his head a little.

"Sure, man, whatever." A devilish smile crawled across him. "Hope you can keep up."

Robin stared at him strangely. "What are you talking about? I LIVE here."

By the time he'd finished his sentence, the kid had whizzed out of the room in a blue blur, yet leaving everything in tact as well.

Robin blinked in amazement for a few seconds before another thought came to his attention.

"Wait a minute...This is OUR HOUSE!! Who invited you in here?!"

^/*/<---->\*\^

The cool air slowly wafted by the teenager's face, which had traces of bristles under the nose. He sniffed the crisp air, his cautious eyes glancing around alertly. A soft hand creeped up to his face and scratched his chin roughly, then disappeared.

A figure was staring at him from behind, unbeknowest to the boy. She was a little younger than him, and was smiling warily.

"Hey," she said calmly.

"Whoa!" the kid jumped, banging his head into the white door of the refridgerator. He yelped quietly, and rubbed his hand through his messy, light brown hair. He spun around slowly to see one of his friends, and he smiled smugly.

"What?" he asked, smiling, as he slowly stood up and closed the door, still tending his 'injury'.

The dark-skinned girl was grinning at him dully.

"Mario..." she mumbled. "This isn't our home...Are you sure it's right to be snooping around their food?" Her eyes were sad and a dark, deep blue.

Mario chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck with his bare hand.

"Well, uh...I mean, ya know, if it weren't for us, they'd be screwed. Besides, we've already made ourselves at home, right?"

The girl shook her head slowly and sighed, crossing her thin arms over her chest as she leaned her back against the island that rested in the middle of the kitchen.

"Mario, we did the right thing, but...We shouldn't be poking around their things, ya know...? Besides, I don't feel like I'm at home..." Her depressed blue jewels wandered around the room nervously.

Mario glanced at her from head to toe for a few seconds before he answered calmly, "You've already got your shoes off..."

The brown-skinned young woman tossed her head back in frustration and growled, "Mario, I NEVER wear shoes!"

Mario shrugged lightly, smiling in a bit of embarrassment as he stared at her cute, bare feet.

"Meh, whatever," he mumbled casting the thought aside. His face took on a solemn tone suddenly as his eyes soared around thoughtfully.

"Hey...Tenochtitlan," he mumbled shyly.

She let one smooth arm drop, while the other clung to it gracefully. "Mm...?"

"Do you think...that everything's gonna work out...?" He sounded a little unerved.

As he returned his gaze to hers, he saw the worry in her icey, white eyes.



She let her head bob a little, unsure. She had to think a moment before she could respond.

"Um...Wh-what do you mean...?" she inquired quietly, her gaze gradually returning.

Mario sifted his hand through his puffy maple hair a little, trying to relax his brain as he mumbled, "Well, ya know...Ya think they're gonna accept us...?"

Tenochtitlan's eyes were now furrowed and a dark brown.

"I don't see why not..." she murmured firmly. "We DID save them, afterall. I'm sure that they could use our help...Why else would we be here...?"

Mario nodded slowly in agreement, letting his arm flop over to his side again.

"Yea, I know...I'm as confused as you are...I was just wondering what you thought...You seem to always be right, after all." A smile crept over his face as his sight met hers.

She was smiling warmly back at him, her golden yellow retinas half covered by her eyelids.

Her soft, dark hands wandered onto the counter to gently scoop up the big red cap that had been sitting there. She ran her fingers over it, almost mesmerized, then slowly raised her hand and went to pass it to her friend.

He stepped closer to her and reached out for it with his big, sculpted hand. Much to Tenochtitlan's surprise, he playfully slapped it on her head, messing around her long, braided locks of soft, black hair.

She giggled and pushed him away roughly.

He chuckled a little and countered by shoving his hat down over her beaming, pink eyes and her shining, white grin. He always seemed capable of making her laugh. A familiar voice interrupted them, and they almost jumped. When she realized who it was, though, Tenoch smirked and roughly shoved Mario away, sending him bumping into the refrigerator.

"Whew! I was HOPING you guys didn't chomp all the grub!" Sonic had called out, just before Mario hit the fridge.

As the smooth acting guy slickly walked into the room, he glanced at Tneochtitlan, then at Mario.

"Psh. Get a room, guys," he muttered with a grin, knowing exactly what kind of reaction he was about to get.

"Hmph. Get real, Sonic," Mario protested smugly. "You know nothing's going on..."

Sonic chuckled warmly as he punched Mario on the shoulder, easing him to get out of his way.

"I know, man, I know...I'm just jokin' with ya," he mumbled warmly, reaching his arms into the array of food.

Tenoch was suddenly quiet, her eyes a dark blue. Neither of them noticed, and she let the thought go, her retinas changing into an emerald green before Sonic noticed her standing there, staring at the ground, holding an apple in his hand.

"What's up with you...?" he murmured curiously.

Her head jerked up, her dreadlocks flipping around. She slowly removed the red cap on her head and tossed it to Mario, who caught it with ease.

"Uh...I'm just...-" her kind voice trailed off, not really sure what her problem was.

"We're a little worried about what's goin' on," Mario admitted as he slipped his hat back on, feeling at one with himself as he did so.

Sonic had swallowed a bite, and just before he munched into it again, he responded.

"Ahhh...Yea..." His teeth sank into the sweet, red fruit. He added more, his mouth full. "Ah ohh hut ya mean," he attempted.

Tenochtitlan finally spoke, fiddling with the object wrapped around her forehead.

"Mm hm. I'm a little nervous, I guess..." Now that she thought about it, she was losing confidence. She blanked out for a minute, not paying attention to their conversation, wandering through her thoughts.

Why am I here...? Where did I COME from...? Who AM I...?

She became frightened for a moment when she realized the truth- she didn't have a good answer for ANY of those questions. At least not an answer she knew was correct. She felt she KIND OF knew the answers...She wanted to get out of these thoughts, and she didn't realize her eyes had turned black. As she awoke from her fear, she realized her hands were playing around with her hair, and she hastily dropped them, hoping the other two hadn't noticed. She felt much more comfortable when she noticed they were scarfing food out of the fridge like animals. Then again, they hadn't really eaten all day.

They didn't have any money to get food WITH. They didn't have any home to go to...It was as if they just arrived there out of nowhere...

Tenochtitlan was hoping with all her heart that these 'Titans' would accept her and her friends. They didn't have anywhere else to go...

It suddenly snapped in her brain that this wasn't their place, as much as she wished it WAS, and she scolded, "Guys! What are you doing?!"

Mario poked his head out of the fridge and grinned, his mouth empty for once, and he tossed a banana at her.

"Your favorite, right?" he mumbled as he dug back into the pile of consumables.

Tenoch's stomach growled as she stared at the yellow fruit in awe between her delicate looking fingers. She had to force herself to place it on the island she was next to, wincing from her hunger.

"Yea...Thank you," she murmured back sadly, still not comfortable here. Now that she thought about it...How did he know that...? Ugh...Things were SOOO confusing right now...Maybe it would be best to just forget all the complicated stuff and try and relax.

"Hey...Where's Link...?" she suddenly inquired, her eyes narrow with curiosity.

Mario laughed and muttered, "I dunno...But he better haul ass if he wants some food!"

Tenoch placed her palms on her hips and snapped, "Guys! Stop being pigs!"

"Don't WORRY," Sonic assured in a grunt, removing himself from the cold storage box, traces of color on his face.

---<*>---

End Transmission

---<*>---

Huh? HUH? What do ya think?

By the way, Tenochtitlan is an original creation of mine, and there's quite some mystery behind her. Her role is very crucial in my main work, and that's why she's in this one, too.

By the way, it's pronounced [TAY-NAWSH-TEET-LAHN]. -_-' It was the captial city of the Aztecs...But Tenochtitlan is supposed to look African, I guess...:shrug:

Whatever. :yawn: Bring on the comments, people.

Keep in mind as you read this fic- as we progress- that I really strive for character development, especially on Raven. This isn't apparent until later, butit's CRUCIAL, so please tell me what you think of the characterization as we go.

[oneeyemonkeypie]

wow.

you are a PROLIFIC writer. this fic sounds like a HUGE investment in time. please, link to it when you see fit. don't make me hunt it down and post the url. *grins evilly*

[rrarbecy]

I am not one for long posts, so I'll get to the point. AWESOME!!! thats all I have to say. Mario as an eating machine is a nice touch.

[Destiny_Smasher]

Ah...A little more feedback. Thanks for the comments.

However, I see it fit to keep you guys suspended...as you put it...'for the time being.'

Sorry. I just actually want some replied here before I run out of Chapters. I want some gradual feedback, ya know?

Oh, yea. Here ya go. Next time I may wait for a couple more posts, though.

---*<Begin Transmission>*---

The Q4D! Saga...

Winds of Fate: The X Factor

Chapter 2- Home, Sweet Home

"Guys, I'm serious," she whimpered nervously, hopping a little in fear, her purple eyes wandering around the room.

"Tenoch, cool down," Mario mumbled, shaking his head as he, too, pulled his face away. He, however, hadn't eaten as hastily as Sonic, and wasn't nearly as messy-looking.

The dark-skinned young woman sighed and placed her right hand on her forehead tiredly. Her head hurt a little, confused from all the thoughts mixing through it. It was too much compared to what she was used to...What WAS she used to?!

Tenochtitlan was a beautiful girl, who looked about 18 or so, and had a very strange outfit in comarison to the people who lived in the city she was currently in. She had thin, slender arms, and smooth, strong legs. Her arms and legs certainly had muscle in them, that was for sure, and it was clear when she fought. But based on her appearence, you couldn't tell. There were no shoes on her elegant feet, but there were a couple ankle bracelets of gold. She wore an ancient-looking skirt of sorts. It was as black as night, and it was kind of short, cutting off just a little above her knees.

Farther up was her cute stomach, which was showing between her shirt and her skirt. It was a little thin, but not too much so.

Her shirt had no sleeves, and was white in color. A unique illustration of a yellow sun was printed on its front, while a picture of a black moon was on her back. Along her thin arms were various pieces of jewelry. A gold bracelet rested on her left arm, just above her elbow, and was tight enough where it stayed there. On the other arm was a silver one, which ws located down near her wrist. A simple, shining black ring was fitted on her left ring finger. On the other arm's wrist there was a gray bandana with yellow stars pirnted on it, but it was tied around as if it was a bracelet itself. A thin metal chain dangled around her neck, and a flat, black crescent moon of metal was fastened to it, which hung just above her breasts. On each side of her pretty face were ears, of course, and each one had an earring.

Her right ear held a flat, metallic piece that looked just like an item known as a 'Shine Sprite,' which was a glowing gold. And on the opposite ear dangled a similar earring made of silver and shaped into what was known as a 'Power Star.' On her smooth forehead was a shimmering circlet colored gold. A round gem was fastened within it, right in the middle of her head. The color of the gem varied, just like the color of her own mystical eyeballs.

Then there was her soft, straight hair, which she had a decent amount of. It was tied in lots of braided dreadlocks, which loosely hung down a bit past her shoulders. Poking over her circlet a little were individual strands of her puffy, black hair.

Then there were the most important and most noticeable features about her- her eyes. She had stunning eyes that immediately grabbed attention, and there was a very mysterious quality to them. They changed colors like a mood ring. This was because, actually, they were like mood rings. The eyes, they say, are the windows to a person's soul. Tenochtitlan's were a perfect example. They shifted color with her emotions. This way, when one looked into her eyes, you could usually determine how she was feeling in her heart. Which made it a little difficult for her to hide her emotions. And she was a very emotional person, indeed. The jewel that rested on her circlet shared the same quality, and changed with her eyes, at least when she wore it.

The last piece of her ensemble was a wooden staff, which was almost as tall as her, and very strong. Three large, very skinny metal rings hung loosley from a hole just below its tip. Guess what colors they were? That's right- black, silver, and yellow. Odd marks were engraved in its sides, and the top held firmly to a sharp rock with the same properties as the one on her forehead.

Mario, while wiping his mouth, glanced up at her, and instantly felt bad for her when he saw her distraught look.

"Tenoch...You OK?" he murmured, a little puzzled. "There's nothing to worry about...Everything'll work out just fine, you'll see."

She opened her squinted eyes slowly, and Mario saw their purple tone. She looked confused.

"It's not what's going to happen that I'm worried about...It's what ALREADY happened..." She looked away, blushing slightly, and Mario and Sonic exchanged equally perplexed glances.

Suddenly, as interrupting as Sonic had been when he entered the room, was another voice very familiar to them. It was solemn and a little grumpy.

"Gee, guys, thanks for inviting me to dinner..."

Mario's eyes lit up, happy to escape the dreary mood Tenoch had set up.

"Link! Heh-ey, man! Where have YOU been?"

The blond-haired boy shrugged as he stepped in, noting the timid-looking girl and the eager-eyed boys. He looked tired, small bags forming under his eyes.

"Ugh...I've been looking for a good place to sleep, but...I mean, I'm afraid I'll wind up sleepin' in one of these freaks' places..."

Link was a fairly muscular guy, but not too broad. He was a little taller than the others, and a lot more serious-looking, at that. He wore a black leather vest around his chest, which had three golden triangled arranged in a triangular form on it- a symbol known as the Triforce. He wore a dark green sweatshirt, and brown gloves that cut off at his fingers. Baggy pants of an even darker green and deep brown army-style boots finished up the bulk of his outfit. He had a neat set of slightly darkened blonde hair. Bangs poked out over his face, slightly to the left and right, but not in the middle. An odd, short hat sat upon his hair. It was round, short, and a pale blue. Upon its center was a small Triforce contrasted against a red circle. Thin red stripes ran around the hats sides. On his pierced right ear was a small, sky blue earring, completing his look. He looked about 17 or so, and was a handsome young man.

Tenochtitlan huffed, crossing her arms stubbornly, her eyes red and firey.

"See? This is too awkward! I can't deal with this. Hey, are any of them up yet?"

Sonic scratched his short little goatee a bit and mumbled, "Well, that cape kid was up when I was there..."

"Oh, they're wakin' up?" Link wondered sleepily.

Tenoch began to stumble out of the room, tossing her staff haphazardly onto the island as she did so.

"They're in the living room, right?" she hastily questioned as she departed.

"Yea," Sonic called back as he glanced at her walking quickly down the halls.

"Where are you going?!" Mario shouted curiously.

"I'm going to apologize!!" she cried back, not even looking or stopping.

/*\--~+~--/*\

Robin was stepping through the halls of the tower slowly, dazed from the evening's events. He'd decided to leave everyone to rest where they were for the moment, and went off in search of these 'groupies'.

He was really confused, and the headache he was experiencing didn't help.

Who had saved them, why? How did they know where the Titans lived? If they were super heroes, why hadn't he heard of them before? And where the he** was he GOING, anyway?

After he paused, took a deep breath, and squinted around himself in the night's darkness, he realized he was aiming toward the brightly lit kitchen, though it was off a bit, around a corner to his left. Yea...OK, OK...He knew where he was headed, now...

That Sonic guy had said something about food, hadn't he...? What gave him the right to go pillaging their kitchen, though?

Just then, Robin had the wits scared out of him as a shadowy figure turned the corner, coming within inches of him before realizing a person was there. It was a girl, slightly taller than he, and she let out a sharp, short shriek of surprise as she jumped back, grasping her chest as if to prevent her heart from pounding out of it. Robin also let go a cry of shock, but not nearly as loud as hers.

A distant voice that sounded vaguely familiar to Robin caled down the halls from the kitchen in concern.

"Tenoch?! You allright?!"

Tenochtitlan's eyes, which were purple at the time, though Robin didn't notice, darted from him to the hallway. She paused a moment and nervously shouted back, "Uh...I'm fine! Just...I just tripped, ya know...It's kinda dark out here..." Her worried expression turned back to Robin's ever perplexed one.

"Ya sure you're OK?" the voice checked.

"Uh, oh, yea...I'm OK, don't worry..."

"Well, be a little more careful, huh?"

Tenoch's left hand was fretting with a small braid, and she yanked it off when she noticed.

"Uh...Hi," she mumbled shakily.

"Y...Y-you must be the leader, right?"

Robin crossed his thin arms over his chest, cocked a brow, and answered cooly, "Yea, that's me. Who are you? Why are you here?"

Tenoch bobbed her head, embarrassed, and attempted to explain.

"Well, uh...See, you guys were in a jam, and we came and helped, and we brought you here, so...-" she trailed off, fidgeting with her hair again, but not realizing it quite yet.

Robin nodded slowly, feeling confident this much was true. Something about this girl made him feel he could trust her, though he didn't even know her one bit.

"Wait. OK, OK...I know that, but...Listen, where are the others?" he demanded, trying to sound like he wasn't angry. He WAS, in a way, but it was more irritation.

The dark girl continued to fiddle with her braid, twirling it between her fingers, and mumbled an answer.

"Umm...Th-they're all in the kitchen, so...Listen," she spoke out firmly. "I'm really sorry about us coming in like this, we just..."

Her eyes, which were still violet, wandered. "We don't really have anyplace to GO..."

Robin felt a wave of sympathy for the girl. She seemed too innocent and honest to be mad at, and Robin felt his annoyance melt away.

"Oh...Well, er...Listen. I just wanna talk with your friends, or whatever, and try to figure out what's going on here, OK?"

Tenoch smiled shyly at him, hoping he wasn't upset.

"Uh huh." She nodded quickly, her hair bobbing around. "Follow me, allright?"

As they paced through the dark, Robin rubbed his temple and thought to himself, "Whoa...This has been one he** of a night so far..."

>[=/+*+\=]<

He stood there, amazed, perplexed, and yet...He felt kind of happy. These strangers, they...They didn't really feel like strangers. They felt like friends. Being the leader of the group, Robin decided that he could make the decision he was about to make.

"Weellll..." He rubbed the back of his neck, hoping he wouldn't regret this choice later. "I guess I don't see why you can't hang out here for the night. It's the least I can do right now after you helped us out back there..."

Mario, who Robin recognized from the 'Pie in the Sky' parlor, grinned and roughly patted him on the back.

"Allright, Cardinal! Thanks a mil, man!"

Robin smiled, somehow feeling sure this guy was just joking with him.

"It's Robin," he corrected with a smirk.

"Right, right. Whatever ya say, Bluebird!"

The baggy-clothed boy wandered off a little from Robin, glancing about the room, his eyes narrow. He propped his red hat up a bit to see better.

The others continued, not noticing.

"So you guys are heroes, too, huh?" Robin murmured, amused. He was leanded up against the island, just as Tenoch had been minutes before.

"Yea...I guess you could call us that," Sonic muttered, tapping his foot, his hands at his hips.

"Didn't you say that before?" Robin inquired slowly.

Sonic's eyes bulged a bit, and he nodded.

"Yea...I'm amazed you remember. You looked STONED, man..."

"Still DOES," Link added, elbowing Sonic.

Robin sighed, shaking his head. It wasn't unlike what he experienced every other day. He pressed a question.

"So...How did you guys GET here? I mean, why don't you have anywhere to go to...?"

He was answered by utter silence and totally puzzled expressions. Tenochtitlan's was pale and afraid, her eyes black as midnight. Robin had noticed the odd way her eyes changed color, but didn't quite ask about it yet. He didn't want to be rude. He could worry about that later. Right now, he wanted to get everything sorted out and go to sleep.

"We don't really have a good answer for that right now," Mario admitted, wondering why everyone else in the room looked so upset. He was still looking around for someone, trying to figure out where they could be. He seemed oddly calm about it amidst the nervous atmosphere.

"...Huh?" Robin muttered, shaking his head quickly in confusion.

"Uh...Nevermind," Mario grumbled, trying to change the subject. "Where's Tikal, guys?"

Everyone instantly glanced at Sonic.

"Wh-what?" he squeaked.

"She's YOUR girlfriend," Link muttered with a huff.

"Well, yea, but...How am I supposed to know? I think last time I saw her she was heading upstairs, but..."

Tenochtitlan shrugged, kicking her bare feet across the tile floor.

"She's fine, I'l bet. Probably looking for us..."

"Yea," Sonic agreed.

Robin know realized there was a fifth of them. Hm.

"Whoa, whoa, wait..." He stood up sraight, sticking up his palms in confusion.

"Allright...So...You guys don't know how you got here...You have no place to go, and you've got super powers?"

They all nodded slowly, looking a bit ashamed of themselves.

"OK..." Robin grinned confidently.

"I've got the perfect idea..." He crossed his arms again, and glanced at them all carefully. "Why don't you guys join the Titans?"

There was another moment of tranquility as they all stared at one another. Tenochtitlan and Mario exchanged glances and practically spoke when they did so.

Tenoch's pink eyes said, "I guess I shouldn't have worried," while Mario's smirk replied, "I told ya so."

"Hmmm..." Mario tapped his chin carefully, rubbed the fuzz under his nose a bit, and acted as if he was really considering his answer carefully. "Why not?"

Robin smiled at that answer as he muttered, "Well, I figured since you were able to take down that stupid tree guy..."

"Yea, yea. You guys could NEED us if you fight like THAT," Sonic added in, punching Robin's shoulder.

They all spat in their comments for a few minutes, kind of in a mixture. Robin broke it by saying, "I'm gonna have to check it out with the other guys tomorrow, but...It's gettin' real late. And I'm bushed."

"Yea," Link added, yawning, which caused Tenochtitlan to yawn drearily and Robin to follow.

"Well..." Robin groaned, beginning to leave the room.

"Let's look for a place for you guys to crash, what do ya say?"

"Sounds friggin' good to me," Sonic mumbled sleepily as he followed Robin out of the room.

"The tower's pretty big, and I'm almost positive we've got some guest rooms around somewhere..." Robin announced quietly as they exited the room, walking out into the black halls.

Mario landed in front of Robin with a light thud- he'd nimbly hopped over them- and stuck up his hand into the air. It ignited in flames, and he kept his arm up like a torch.

"Lead the way, Rooster," he said slyly.

+{~/|\~}+

A groan escaped his mouth as his eyes opened slowly, letting in the dim morning light that seeped through his window shades.

His eyelids twitched, not wanting to let too much light in at once, but they finally opened all the way, and the green teen drearily rose himself out of bed. His legs and arms were sore, he noticed, standing up with a stretch.

Blinking at his bedroom in perplexment, he acknowledged the fact that it was a new day. It didn't even ocurr to him what had happened the night before. The toxins of the Willow's strange poison still jarred his memories a bit.

"Man..." He mumbled, scratching his butt roughly. His keen nose quickly picked up a delicious scent that wafted through the Tower. Whatever it was, the source was very nearby. "Sweet!" he cried, dashing for the door with a toothy grin. For once he was excited that it didn't smell like tofu.

But as he burst through his door, and into the still dim halls, he froze at what met his eyes, and he felt his gut get queasy. He felt his face get warm, his eyes glaze over. A very pretty girl was walking through the halls, toting a tray of pancakes drenched in syrup with her. She had brown skin, beautiful eyes, and an arrangement of long, thin braids. It was Tenochtitlan, but Beastboy had never seen her before in his life. Those eyes captivated him, drew him inward...Granted, the 'bod' was to his liking as well, but...Something about those eyes made him feel faint. They were a bright orange at the moment, and as they met his, they shifted to a pink, much to Beastboy's surprise.

"Oh! Hey, good morning...Beastboy, right?" she greeted, giving him an inviting smile.

"Oh, my morning just got REAL good now that YOU'RE here," Beastboy murmured in awe, just quiet enough that she couldn't quite make it out, his face dreamy and lost.

Tenochtitlan cocked her head at him, a little confused, but retained her smile.

"Hm?"

Beastboy caught himself hastily and fumbled around.

"Oh, uh, yea. Morning there..." He rubbed his neck a little. "Er...You're a new face. What's your name?"

She squinted her eyes and smiled, answering. "I'm Tenochtitlan. Nice to meet you. Robin's told me all about you." She reached out her soft hand to accept his, grasping the plate she held with the other, and he shook it eagerly.

"Uh...Oh. Pleasure's all mine," he responded, trying to sound calm. "What brings YOU here?"

As her eyelids peeled open to this comment, BB noticed the blue color that rested beneath them.

"Ummm..." She bobbed her head a little, unsure as to how to answer the question.

Beastboy immediately felt pain just looking at her upset face, and he quickly retracted his question.

"Oh. Uh, listen, if it's personal, no big. I understand."

Tenochtitlan's eyes shifted to a pale yellow and she smiled and looked back up at him shyly, blushing just barely.

"That's OK," she mumbled. "Honestly, I don't know how to answer you. I DON'T know what brings me here. All I know is that I'm here..."

Beastboy was a little confused, but it didn't matter.

"Oh!" Tenoch almost jumped, realizing she had a plate of food in her hands. "I...I was bringing breakfast to you. I hope you like it."

Beastboy let his mouth open, almost drooling. He was famished. He wanted to reach out and snatch it like the beast he was, but his concious told him that this would be rude. Amazingly, his conciousness won.

Tenochtitlan grew slightly nervous and turned her head around to the direction she had come from.

"I, uh...I don't know where you like to eat, but..."

Beastboy snapped awake from his gawk and motioned her to follow himt o his room.

"Uh...This is good," he told her as she placed it on his black, ebony dresser. "You make it yourself?" he wondered.

She shrugged, shaking her head.

"No. Mario made 'em. He's a much better cook than I am."

Beastboy cocked a brow as he picked up the fork on the plate, trying to remember how to USE one properly.

"Mario?" he mumbled. "Who's THAT?"

Tenoch lightly slapped her forehead.

"Oh, sorry. He's...He's one my friends."

Beastboy stuck his fork through a single pancake and swallwed it whole.

Tenoch let out a quiet giggle as she continued.

"Actually, soon enough he may be YOUR friend..."

Beastboy licked his lips of the syrup that stuck there, his mind jumping from food to this stranger.

"What do ya mean?" he muttered.

"Well..." Tenochtitlan sat herself down on Beastboy's odd bed gracefully, and as he stood there next to his dresser, fork in hand, he felt captured by the way she landed on his cushion. Her smile, her bright yellow eyes, the way her soft hair was tossed into the air. She totally dominated his mind and heart for a few seconds, until he caught himself staring.

The girl finished her sentence, not looking at Beastboy directly.

"Last night you guys were defeated by a strange creep, and...we saved you from him..." She was speaking slowly and thoughtfully.

Like the roar of a lion, that whole event flashed through BB's brain, and he jumped in realization. He suddenly felt incredibly stupid that he hadn't even thought of how that all turned out.

"After that, we brought you here, and...Your leader, Robin, talked with us..." She had a saddened tone as she ended the little tale. "We...don't really have anywhere to go, and...Robin suggested we join your team..."

Beastboy's eyes lit up with instant delight and he cheered, raising his arms.

"Yes! Sweetness!"

Tenoch was slightly surprised at his sudden act, but quickly recovered and let out a snicker.

"So, I take it you agree with him already, hm?"

Beastboy smiled timidly and answered, "Well, I guess you could say that..."

Tenochtitlan gazed around at the jungle-like room. It was a bit of a mess, but...she didn't mind. For some reason, it...It felt like home. Where WAS home...? NO! She had to stop asking herself these questions, or she'd go mad! After clearing her throat quickly, she jumped off of the bed and began to leave for the door.

"Um...I have to go help Mario in the kicthen, so...I-I'll see ya later. It was very nice to meet you, Beastboy!"

As she left the room in a hurry, Beastboy murmured to himself dreamily, "You have no idea how nice it was..."

[-+=/*/_\*\=+-]

"You put them all in their beds?" Sonic asked incredously. "H-How did you manage THAT one?"

The timid and quiet girl he was talking to answered in her soft, slightly low voice. "I used my...my powers..." she mumbled.

The blue-haired young man paused, reflected, and nodded. "Ohhh...So ya just, like, levitated 'em, or something?"

"Yes," she answered calmly, her arms folded up behind her back.

She had a fluffy, long hair that ran down the length of her back. It was a pale orange color, and was like silk in texture. Two poofy sections of it rose over her forehead, and a studden gold headband ran over her head behind the bangs. She had deep, lonely blue eyes. Her build was thin, and she didn't appear very physically strong. A white shirt with short sleeves covered her bosom, and its bottom arched upward over her stomach, leaving it bare. Its color was gold and had a green jem in its center. She wore a very roomy denim skirt, which hung just about where her knees were when she standed erect. Sandals were on her feet, which had straps that crawled across the top of her foot. Her skinny arms had thick, neon blue bracelets on each, the color of the midday sky. Her outfit was simple and more relaxed than the clothes of those around her. She was Tikal.

"Are you guys hungry?" came a relaxed voice from behind them as Mario stood over the stove, cooking pancakes and bacon in frying pans with ease.

"I could go for some chow, man," Sonic answered. He turned to his girlfriend and asked, "You look pretty starved. Why don't you eat some?"

She nodded in agreement, almost smiling.

"That would be a good idea," she muttered.

Two figures entered the room, both in mid conversation. They were Link and Cyborg.

"-then I took my sword and hacked the bastard's arm off," Link said grimly, swiping his arm in a downward motion.

"Aw, ya, baby," Cyborg said with a grin. "You and me- we got some sparring to do later on, lemme tell ya that."

"AFTER we eat," Link added.

"You bet, man," Cyborg agreed heartily, staring at the food being prepared.

"Oh, hey, guys. Morning there," Mario greeted, tipping his red cap slightly.

"Oh, yo, man," Cyborg greeted, nodding. "You this Mario I'm hearin' about?"

"That's me, bro," Mario answered casually, taking a spatula and slapping pancakes onto a plate.

Cyborg's eyes lit up- one literally- when he saw the bacon being cooked.

"Aw, he** yea!!" he cried in joy. "That's what I'm talkin' about! No tofu for me, da**it! You da man!"

Mario chuckled as he added a decent portion of pork to Cyborg's packed plate and handed it to him.

"Enjoy," he said, still laughing a bit.

"Don't worry," the metal-man answered as he ran for the living room merrily.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Link cried out jokingly. "Where's MY food?"

Mario shook his head, still smiling, and answered, "If ya don't leave me alone and let me make it for the other guys, you're not gonna get any," he answered with a sarcastic strictness.

Tenochtitlan came speeding into the kitchen in a rush, and skidded to a halt, slipping a little on the tile floor. A slight thud could be heard as she stopped. She winced and limped a little.

"You allright?" Mario asked, a mix of concern and a laugh coming out.

She had a half-frown on and whimper as she answered, "I think so." She sounded in pain, but holding back a laugh.

Robin's head poked into the doorway as he asked casually, "Nice goin with breakfast, guys. How about we put on some music, wake everybody up, huh?"

"You bet!" Mario said with a nod.

"Sounds good," Link muttered, shrugging.

"Oh, please!" Tenoch agreed, having just recovered from her 'injury'.

---<*>---

End Transmission

---<*>---


Huge investment of time? This fic? Well, yes...

You want see a huge investment of time? My WHOLE set of fiction is a huge investment of time, and this one novel (or short novel) is only part of it. ^_^ Biggest damned crossover fic I've ever seen, I must say.

[oneeyemonkeypie]

we-elll. I've gotten a lot more into this fic than i thought i would, i must say. since they forgot everything, is this the beggining of your huge fic, or just a side story in the main one?

you look STONED. I LOVE IT!

also, we bleep out hell, but not bastard? and i like where the BeastBoy/Tenochtitlan thing is going. Beast Boy vs Mario. yeah!

enough disjointed thoughts. very, very good. make sure you tell me where to find this huge fic some day.

[Destiny_Smasher]

Dusjointed thoughts, indeed...

OK, well...

First off, this fic is a branch off from the main one- don't fear. I will certainly link you to the main one sooner or later. ^_^ That's one point to reading this one: to get involved and want to know the whole story about what's going on, as I don't tell everything. I answer all the questions I establish, but...a lot is left out.

I look stoned? :confused: How the hell can I manage that when you can't see me and I'm not stoned at all...? :sweat:

As for hell and bastard...

My apologies. I tried to take out the censoring, but I didn't review the whoel Chapter- only ones that caught my eye.

See, when I first posted it up, I wasn't sure if they were accepted, but once I found out they WERE accepted, I let loose and didn't censor them anymore. So be patient with that. You can tell what the words are, anyway, can't ya?

As for Mario vs Beastboy...

:o Um...What in Koriand'r's name are you talking about???

Hm...*glances at Chapter quickly* Uhhh...Yeaaaa...I SUPPOSED maybe that's an assumption, but...

I don't want you thinking that Mario and Tenoch are romantically linked, 'cuz they're not. Mario's already GOT a girlfriend back home- her name is Peach. :rolleyes: And he certainly remembers her, though he may not mention it much.

However, you're still going to have to wait for more replies until you see any more of this. Sorry, but I'm not givin' output if there's no input.

:sweat:

OHHH...Stoned...yea...hehe...:sad: Riiiight...:rolleyes: Been so long since I've read this stuff...

[oneeyemonkeypie]

I see. Sorry about confusing you.

My only fear is that the reader will become so bogged down trying to remember all the characters that they will forget the plot. But we'll just have to wait and see. Keep it up.:D

[Crowgirl]

That was very nice. I like how you have a bunch of superheroes put together to form a team. Extremely cool. Also, your character, Tenochitilan, is that the name of a pokemon? She's very cool.

Post more or suffer.:evil:

[Destiny_Smasher]

:sweat:
OK, then...

What???

A POKEMON?! :sad: Well, I mean, I like Pokemon...I have my own Pokemon characters in my main fic, but...

Nonono! Tenochtitlan is my own original creation. Her name derives from the capital city of the Aztec Empire- what's now called Mexico City.

I would LOVE to tell you more about her, but that would be ruining plot, now wouldn't it? (By the way, you can just call her 'Tay,' as the Titans do later on.)

"the reader will become so bogged down trying to remember all the characters that they will forget the plot." :frylock: Ummmm...yeaaa...

See, if you have trouble with that, then you may have trouble with this fic. So far, none of my readers have complained about that. I know all the characters seem overwhelming, but believe you me, this is NOTHING.

Currently, I am keeping track of the chronology, personality, etc. of over 50 characters over the span of what I have done in the Destinia Saga, as I now call it. Trust me, it gets complex, like a spiderweb- and I LOVE it, and so do my readers...even though they probably don't see all the links that connect things...

Anyway, the whole point to this fic was to only focus on the Teen Titans and how they get involved with the bigger scheme of things.

Trust me, though, you won't be worried or confused about the plor later...I think...You'll be much more likely to be wondering what's happening next with all the little subplots put into it. A lot of these are basically relationships between characters. Romance? Oh, yes, lots.

Ummm...

Yea, by about Chapter 15, things get more complex. But I'm only on 12 right now, sooo...

Oh, right...Yea, I guess that's enough feedback for an update.


<+--->*<Begin Transmission>*<---+>

The Q4D! Saga...

Winds of Fate: Teen Titans- The X Factor

Chapter 3- Up and At 'Em!

The living room of Titan Tower was alive with the vibrant sounds of rock organ, electric guitar, and singing. The energetic tune that blared from the surround sound speakers made sure that everyone was awake by now. Breakfast was still being prepared in the kitchen by a nervous Tenochtitlan, whom Mario had assigned to complete the task.

Cyborg had just finished scarfing down his meal and had plunked his plates in the sink eagerly, ready to 'get down with his robo-self.'

Link stood calmly, his stomach full and happy, and he watched the girl before him struggle to get Raven and Starfire's food prepared.

In the living room, Beastboy and Mario were jamming like maniacs to the music that filled their ears, singing the lyrics in first person. They were dancing in their socks, Mario on the couch and Beastboy on the table. They were wild, swinging the arms around as if they were playing invisible instruments haphazardly.

"When there's trouble you know who to callll...TEEN TITANS!!

From our tower we can see it aallll...TEEN TITANS!!

When there's evil on the attack- you can rest knowing we got your back.

And when the world is thrown out of controollll...

Teen Titans- GO!!!"

The grinned silly smiles and screamed the words loudly and proudly. Robin was leaned up against a doorway that led down one of the Tower's many halls, his arms crossed and an equally silly smile slapped upon him. He hummed along with the up-beat music calmly, but he was very excited with these newcomers to the team. Or, at least, he thought it would be best for them to be on the team...

"With our super powers we uniiiiite...TEEN TITANS!!

We never met a villain that we liiiiiked...TEEN TITANS!!

We got the bad guys on the run- we never stop 'til the job gets done.

And when the world needs heroes on patrooollll...

Teen Titans- GO!!!"

The two lunatics hopped crazily from their stands and dashed around the livingroom, trying to get the others to join in.

Robin laughed at them and shook his head, while Sonic complained that he was still eating through the eggs he chewed. Cyborg, however, chuckled and got up, attempting to play non-existant drums.

"We never know who we'll tangle with neeeexxtt...TEEN TITANS!!

All we know is that we are the beeeesssttt...TEEN TITANS!!

We'll set 'em straight and tell 'em what is right- we'll strike 'em down with all of our might.

And when we're done we'll all head back on hoooommme...

Teen Titans- GO!!!"



Off in the kitchen, Tenochtitlan was sweating with fright and worry, whimpering all the way. Her eyes flashed from orange to purple in quick succession as she tried to flip pancakes, eggs, and bacon- and doing horribly.

Link finally noticed how much trouble she was having, lost in his own thoughts, and rushed to help her out.

"Geez!! What the hell are you DOING?!" he cried out, noticing that the food was in danger of becoming un-edible.

Tenochtitlan jumped back out of his way, her eyes watering.

"I-I-I don't know!!" she cried. "It's not like I've ever COOKED before!" she defended shakily.

Link huffed and revived the situation, while Tenochtitlan realized what she had just said- how did she KNOW that? But...Now that she thought about it...She had no memories of using a stove, a frying pan, or being in a kitchen such as this...She felt confortable, yes, but at the same time, it felt very unfamiliar...

"Well, you're gonna have to learn to cook, then," Link snapped back. "Why did Mario leave you in charge?!" Link didn't sound angry, really, just annoyed that his food had almost been burnt.

"O-O-OK," Tenoch quickly stammared back.

Link sighed deeply, feeling that it was safe to calm down his arms from flipping, and turned off the stove slowly.

"Listen...Could you go and find whoever's up for food next?"

Tenoch nodded and hurried out the door, wishing to make up for her mistake.

As Link brushed back his hair in relief, he glanced at the mystical wooden staff leaned up against the wall beside the doorway and sighed at the dark blue gem on its tip.

*-_#+=+#_-*

Her eyes burned with annoyance as she paced through the empty hallway, the noise slowly increasing in feriocity to her ears. What were they DOING...? She was not ready to commence her day...How could she meditate properly with this racket going on that could be heard throughout all reaches of Titan Tower?

"Good morning, Raven," Robin shouted with a sly smile as she paced by, her cloak on, hood and all, as if to hide herself from the morning's warm rays.

"Not quite," she murmered, not loud enough for Robin to pick up.

She steadily stepped forth, past the psychotic boys, straight to the stereo's controls, which lay near the big-screen teleivision.

She promptly reached out a small hand and pushed a red button. The roaring sounds were killed instantly, and she almost smiled with satisfaction and relief.

"Wha?!" Beastboy cried.

"Yo, Rave!" Cyborg demanded. "What're you DOIN'? We were listenin' to that!"

"Exactly," she answered cooly, walking right past them as if they were shadows. "I'm trying to clear my mind, and hearing our pointless 'theme song' is infuriating me..."

The two Titans frowned dully, while Mario simply stood there, staring at her back as she paced off. He had a thoughtful look about her, and a hint of a smile.

"Ah," he mumbled. "Figures you have one of those..."

"What's that?" Beastboy muttered.

"Ya know, a...Er...Well, one of those dull, gothic people that want to huddle up in a corner and die because the world is so mean..." He spoke as if it were nothing amazing- which, to him, it wasn't.

"Dude, I don't CARE," Beastboy snapped back. "We live here, too, and we wanna listen to some tunes."

"Majority rules!!" Cyborg declared, raising a finger.

Mario shrugged slowly, beginning to leave toward the kitchen.

"Whoa- where are YOU going?" BB wondered. "Aren't you gonna hang out here with us some more?"

Mario paused and answered carefully, "You guys do what you want. I'm going to get my OWN breakfast- I've starved."

Beastboy froze as his stomach gurgled, as if on cue.

"Yea..." he mumbled. "Come to think of it, I didn't get enough earlier..." He looked up and chased after his new friend, crying, "Dude! Wait up, man!" He promptly shifted form to that of a hawk as he glided away, leaving Cyborg to ponder what to do next. He decided to see if Robin wanted to go a round in 'Soul Calibur II,' but he quickly noticed that Robin had vanished, as well.

"Aw, MAN!" he moaned, tossing his arms. "Where da he** did everybody go?!"

X|!/x{+}x\!|X

A somersaulting young man flew into the room and nimbly landed on the tile floors of the kitchen, a knee and a palm on the ground. He hopped to his feet and spun 180 to see Link sliding some food onto some plates.

"Eh?" he mumbled, surprised. "Link, where'd Tenoch go? Wasn't she supposed to be cooking?" the kid asked.

"Cooking?" Link moaned incredulously. "Is THAT what you call what she was doing?"

Mario frowned as he walked up to the stove, smelling the warm aromas sternly.

"What do you mean?" he mumbled curiously.

"Mario," Link spat out, eyeing him like he was a nut. "The girl's never COOKED before in her life...She almost burnt everything..."

Mario tossed his arms.

"So what?" he shot back casually. "How is she ever gonna learn if she doesn't try it herself?"

Link paused, and nodded slowly, seeing his point.

"Guess you're right," he murmured.

"So where'd she go?" Mario questioned suddenly, scratching his nose a little. He really needed to shave there, didn't he...?

Link huffed. "Oh, I dunno. I think I scared her off," he answered smugly. "She went to go get the others."

Mario nodded and grabbed himself a plate of food. He fumbled around a few drawers, looking for the silverware, and found it on his third try. Not bad.

As he pulled up a stool and sat at the island, he couldn't help but feel at home. This was his kind of place. Very roomy, kind of public, yet plenty of private spaces. Reminded him of the good old Academy of Magic...Hmm...Magic...Academy? The phrase sort of slipped on through his mind, but...Now that he thought about it, he couldn't quite grasp it. Oh, well.

The screech of a bird of prey rang through the halls, and moments later, the two teens were shocked to see a green hawk change shape into Beastboy, landing before the stove. His eyes were glazed over at the thought of more of those mouth-watering pancakes flooding into his jaws. A little drool dripped on the floor, and Mario chuckled.

"Whoa, whoa, buddy," he said, shaking his head. "You'll get your food."

Beastboy grinned. "I KNOW," he cheerfully answered. "I'd better," he added slyly, his eyes narrowing.

He suddenly froze, his eyes wide and sad.

"Hey! Wait, where'd that one chick go...Teekonoqu-"

"Tenochtitlan," Link grumbled with a smile.

Beastboy blushed, his emerald eyes wandering. "Right."

"She'll be back," Link answered. "Went to go get your red-head pal."

"Oh," BB nodded in relief. "Allright."

"Why do ya ask?" Mario wondered, having just swalloed some bacon.

"Oh, well, uh..." Beastboy fiddled with his hair a little nervously. "I just...We started talkin', and...-"

"Yea, she's pretty cool," Mario told him. "You should get to know her better. She can be a little melodramatic sometimes, but...Meh," the capped crusader shrugged calmly. "She's one of the nicest people I know."

Beastboy smiled at that comment, but he suddenly looked very curious and thoughtful.

"Where are you guys from, anyway?"

The two sighed and shook their heads.

"Not here," Link responded dully.

Beastboy scratched his chin roughly, baffled by the whole concept.

"Yea, Tekila...Er, Tenoch...titlan...Yea, she told me you guys might be staying with us..."

Mario nodded, gulping down some scrambled eggs.

"'Bout the size of it," he agreed. "At least, that's what Robin suggested."

The green monster was intrigued. If Robin wanted them here, then it was fine by him. After all, they all seemed cool enough. As he thought about it more, he got excited. More Titans to the team? Wow. This was big! It would totally change things...

He suddenly jumped with delight as he heard that calm, lovely tone ring through his ears. The one he was waiting to hear.

Tenochtitlan came dashing into the room, giggling along with Starfire. The two of them had beaming smiles on their faces, and were eager to eat.

Beastboy stood idly by as they both picked up some food and sat down at the island alongside Mario.

"'Mornin' there," the young man greeted cheerfully.

Starfire's eyes widened in surprise as she realized who it was. She'd known that Titan Tower had new guests, but...This one wasn't entirely a stranger! Her face turned red as those mysterious blue eyes of his captured her.

"You are the waiter that served us last night, are you not?" she inquired slowly, in a murmur. A smile crawled across her face.

Mario nodded. "Yea, that was me. Mustard and mint frosting, eh?" he gave her an odd look, but proceeded to eat his food without a second thought.

Starfire shrugged, a little embarrassed, and decided to eat some before she continued her conversation.

Beastboy had let Link fill up his plate, and was chomping it down at a steady pace, not even looking at it. He was too engulfed by this new girl, Tenoch. He couldn't hear what they were saying, he was too engrossed by her beauty. Her eyes...They were pink at the time. They were the loveliest pink he'd ever seen in a LONG time, so he thought.

Finally, his fork stabbed the plate directly, and he looked down to notice there weren't any rations left on it.

Link gave him an amused glance.

"Wow...You love eggs and bacon, don't ya?" he noticed.

Beastboy's brows furrowed and cocked as glared at the blonde boy.

"What are you TALKING about?" he grumbled. "I HATE eggs and bacon..."

Link's eyes widened, and he let out a laugh.

"Oh. Forgive me. You just ate five pounds of 'em!" He chuckled as his head shook slowly.

Beastboy's eyes darted to his plate to see the shreds of yellow and brown that remained.

"BLECH!" he cried out, tossing the plate into the sink nearby as he made a dash for the bathroom.

Link jumped in shock as the green kid came whizzing by, and sighed deeply as he picked up some bacon from what little was left and chewed on it slowly, savoring the rich flavor.

"Oh, geez...Yea, THAT was quite a mess..." came Robin, who had overheard their conversation as he entered. "That Mad Mod was a MORON...I sure as hell hope I don't have to go through anything like THAT again..." He frowned and began to grumble a little, shaking his head.

"Sounds like fun," Mario mumbled, scratching his chin.

"How is that?" Starfire questioned, puzzled. "It was not very entertaining at all..." Her brows furrowed a moment in thought when Mario snickered at her, messing with his hat's brim a bit. "Oh," she moaned. "That was your sense of...sarcasm, correct?"

"Right, Star," Robin chuckled, patting her back a little.

#'/{|*|}\'#

"Whoa! Hey, BB!" Cyborg cried from the coach, a small device in his hand. Beastboy was slowly wandering through the room behind him, looking slightly unwell.

"Check this out, man!" the machine-man yelled, gesturing Beastboy to have a look.

The green kid decided there couldn't be much harm in it, and groggily shifted himself to lean on the sofa's back, eyeing the screen in a half-asleep manner.

"Look at the way thee damn fish rip that thing to shreds, yo!" Cyborg was clearly overjoyed at watching the bloody mess before him onscreen as chunks of flesh and blood spewed out everywhere. Beastboy squinted, not sure he was seeing properly.

"Dude..." he murmured. "Since when do you watch Discovery Channel...?"

Cyborg's face froze, his eyes wide for a few seconds. He blinked, pushed a button on the remote in his hand, and asnwered quickly, "I don't..." and turned his head to see a football game.

Beastboy paused a moment, too dazed to realize what just happened, and proceeded back to the kitchen slowly.

No sooner had he left the room had Cyborg clicked his button again and cheered on the array of pirahnas.

<<<--->>>

About a half hour had passed. Everyone in the kitchen had chatted away, everyone had eaten breakfast, except Raven, and Robin had rounded everyone up to have a meeting of sorts in the briefing room. It was incredibly large, and rested just beyond the living room. A large screen was against the wall, with a control panel to match it.

"Allright, guys," Robin announced. "Time to discuss business..."

His eyes wandered around to make sure everyone was present, and was slightly irritated to see Raven still gone.

"Gah," he groaned. "Where's Raven?"

"No idea," Beastboy shrugged.

"I thought she went to do some more of her damn meditatin'," Cyborg muttered.

"Raven!!" Starfire called out, hoping the caped crusador would hear.

Mere seconds later, she was standing behind the lot of them, only her cold face visible. Vapid, as always, she murmured, "You called...?"

"OK, good!" Robin cried out, his hands forth.

"Guys, listen up! I know this morning has been real hectic. We have some guests, new faces...We're tryin' to get to know eachother here..."

Surprsingly, they were all silent and serious.

"The reason we're here is because I have a proposal...I have hereby invited these new friends of ours to join the Titans. Now I have to ask you guys if you're allright with this...What do you say?"

Raven's eyes bugged out in shock for a moment as she scanned the group, trying to absorb these faces in that she had yet to know. How could he be so hasty in something like this?

Starfire's eyes lit up with enthusiasm, however. What more could she want than more friends?

Cyborg grinned devilishly. New groupies, huh? That meant more people to kick in video games, more people for target practice, and more people to carry the work-load!

Beastboy was overwhelmed with happiness. Two new girls...One of 'em was taken, but...The other was all his!! And he was set on trying his luck.

"Count me in on that vote!" he gleefully shouted, raising his arm giddily.

"Hell yea!" Cyborg agreed.

"I concur!" Starfire cheered.

Raven had been studying everyone's faces, trying to decide how annoying they would be. Then, she met a blond-haired boy with a sharp face and sharper eyes. She felt her insides melt, which didn't happen very often. She fought to prevent her face from turning red, but to no avail. A grin even seeped over her, and she felt...kind of happy...?!?! What was going on?! Her eyes, if only for a second, became brilliantly glazed and joyful.

"Wh-why not...?" she mumbled as everyone stared at her in perplexment, struggling to maintain her dullness.

After a moment of silence, the sound of an explosion rang out. They all spun to see the large screen behind them cracked, and sparks spewed out of it crazily. This only added more to Raven's embarrassment.

(ontrol, control...)she told herself in thought. (You can't be like this, gotta stay calm...) Raven's powers were kept under wraps by her dullness. They were powered by emotions. If Raven got too emotional, she couldn't control herself.

As they all looked back at her, Starfire giggling, Link utterly confused, the control panel promptly ignited in flames, causing them to all cry out in surprise.

<---<*>--->

End Transmission

<---<*>--->

*sigh*

Ahhh...And so begins when I started realizing how fun writing about Raven could be...

I may or may not have said this, but I used to actually dislike Raven...

And then I watched the show more and wrote this fic, and I began to understand her better and like her a lot...She's now one of my favorite Titans...I know there's only five, but...I like 'em all, I just like Raven a lot more than I used to, so she gets some crucial plot later.

As I said, you're in for a roller-coaster ride, so make sure you're buckled. We're still going up that really tall hill at the start- ya know, where it clicks and it's all slow, and...Yeeaaa...

And then, later on, about where I am, we start the real ride.

Crowgirl, I would have to say that your avatar IS cute. ;)

That reminds me, Jinx will be a prominent character later on...

And Terra? Yea, she's comin' in, too. Don't hate her, people. She's not evil. Never was on the show, either. Just misguided and angry- like many teens.

[oneeyemonkeypie]

meh? that's my word. how dare mario say "meh!"

just kidding. I do like the chapter, especially how all the characters are more mature versions of their original characters. and i didn't say that I would lose track of the characters, just that other people might. If you say they dont, then it's all good.

[rrarbecy]

Raven is my favorite character, and you have opened the door for me to play around with her later in my story.

I love confusing things, so I should like the rest of your story. By the way, a BB/Tenoch relationship would be nice, and, if there is a BB/Tenoch relationship, I am interested to see how it would be complicated by Terra. Possibilities, possibilities. Post more.

[raven54]

hey X i'm really starting to like your story! Veeery interesting. No wonder Rae melted- Link is such a hot videogame character;) By the way, Reid, didja know "meh" made it all the way to the snowy desolate wasteland of Minnesota? Cuz it did...

[Reket]

starting to like it??? It was very good since the first chapter. I enjoyed it then and still enjoy it now! My fic is not that long yet, but I'm getting chapter 3 in sometime today!

[Destiny_Smasher]

Wow. Lots of replies...

I'm gonna go out on a limb here, but are you all girls...? :o Just wondering...:sweat:

Everybody thinks I'm a girl when they meet me online...

Sooo...Let's see...

Crowgirl, don't be hatin'. If you hate Terra for those reasons, then you're being just a cold jerk. Everyone has feelings. I'm sure YOU'VE made mistakes in your life that YOU regret, too.

Raven54, everything you said is PERFECTLY matched with my opinion, and it IS what happened. I mean, COME ON. When someone who acts pretty mature all of a sudden changes...When asked, "Why do you hate us?" and replies, "Because you were BORN," I'm detecting some slight immaturity there, and Terra's real self never acted like that. I won't give anything away, but I CAN tell you that Terra will NOT become a villain. That's it, that's all I'm sayin' for now. I actually think you'll like her.

'She basically killed (or at least tried) to kill our young heroes!'

Don't be so quick to judge. That's why the Titans feel so left out, you know. People judge them before they KNOW them.

That's why they all feel left out, and that's something that I focus on later.

Regarding romantic situations- don't worry. I'll touch on that a LOT. Matter of fact, the Chapter I'm working on right now focuses solely on that. The 'In Tower' romance escalates quite a bit.

But this story does begin going down a much darker road by the time we get to the Chapters beyond 10. Just warning you and stuff.

Oh, right. Well, all those replies deserve to have Chapter 4 put up, eh?

:sad: Actually...A whole section of Chapter 4 didn't come out right on the site I have it up on...:yawn: Damnit...That whole set of flashbacks didn't come through correctly...

One thing that has been frustrating me is that fact that I can't seem to use the same thought-quotes throughout all the sites I post my fiction on. First it was <>, but that SO did not work. Then it was [] and {}, which stuck for a while, but even tjose don't work on the main site anymore, I don't think.

I guess I'll just have to stick with (), or something. I don't know. You'll know when they're thought-quotes, I can assure you of that. :P

Sorry for the delay...I'll try to do an quick-edit job on Chapter 4 today. If you're lucky, I'll get it up in a coupel hours...If not, you'll just have to wait until tomorrow after I get out of school. Sorry about that. But the burst of enthusiasm for this fic drives me to edit that section so it doesn't suck. :shrug:

Many thanks, people. You'll love what I have in store, I know ya will.

And soon enough I'll tell you where you can go to read my other three fics. ^_^ Then what fun you may or may not have.

[Crowgirl]

I do not hate Terra, I never did. The thing was, and is, anyone can be swayed, but it takes a real fighter to say that they are sorry and prove it, like Terra did. I am not saying Terra is completely evil, just that she made that oh-so-sweet speech: 'I wanted to anniliate you and your pathetic friends.' 'And now, I never want to see your faces again.'

Seemed evil to me

Oh yeah, you want to insult my opinion, please tell it to my face. I don't really like it when people post it for the whole world to see.

[Destiny_Smasher]

:shrug:
Um...Right.

Not entirely sure who that last comment was directed to, but this IS a forum. Opinions will be openly posted, and opinions OF those opinions will be posted up, too. I mean, if you don't want your opinion insulted, don't post it up here for all to see...*sweatdrop* Not trying to be a jerk, it just makes sense, ya know...?

I personally think you're being just as cold as the Titans THEMSELVES were, though.

"She ruined my car. That seems pretty evil to me."

Seriously, you're reminding me of that line. Blech. This was BEASTBOY'S fault. I'm telling you, Terra becamer a jerk with Beastboy's help-or did you forget?

"Of course, Terra, I'll always be your friend."
"Slade's right. You don't HAVE any friends...:mad: "

Oh, no, breaking his promise wouldn't piss her off ONE BIT, I'm sure. Terra was SO CLOSE to breaking free from Slade, but OHHH NO, Beastboy had to break down and have a fit.

Besides, Terra was just acting immature and irrational. I'm sure there's been at least one time when you acted like a jerk and regretted it, right? Aside from that, you even agreed- Terra admitted her wrongdoings and atoned for her sins with her LIFE. That's anything but evil.

Everyone has two sides to them, Crowgirl. I'm a very firm believer of this, and have yet to come across anything that proves my theory otherwise. You can't love if you can't hate. That's BIG in this story, and in ALL of my fiction.

What Terra DID was evil. But Terra herself was never truly evil. I don't think a person CAN be 100% evil. It's impossible. However, Terra was overcome by hatred, and all the rejection she'd faced in her life was the cause of that hatred.

AHEM...

Oh, right...Anyway, it'd be great if this didn't degrade to a 'Is Terra evil?' debate and all that. I'm sure there's somewhere ELSE in these forums to do that.

<+--->*<Begin Transmission>*<---+>

The Q4D! Saga...

Winds of Fate: Teen Titans- The X Factor

Chapter 4- A Question of Trust

There he sat, his eyes deep and thoughtful, lost in the past. It had been a grand day, no reports of crime...Everything was as it sould be...Or was it?

He wasn't so sure anymore. About anything. All he was sure about was that he could use all the help he could get. And that from this point on, he was part of the team. He wasn't going to make a mistake like that again. Not only had he let them down, but he'd let himself down. What he didn't quite realize, however, was that there were more people there for him than he gave credit to. Thoughts from a week ago flashed through his mind as he sat in the dark, staring at a piece of metal. It was black, and in the shape of a semi-circle, with the right edge cracked. It had been broken off of that bastard'ss face when it had been slammed by Robin's foot.

As he stared at the cruel reminder of those events, he shuddered.

(Admit it, Robin- stealing for me was a thrill, wasn't it?)

He clenched his teeth and he tried to sort it out. He didn't enjoy serving Slade, he was forced against his will...But maybe part of him DID enjoy it...

(Robin...You are my best friend...I cannot live in a world where we must fight. If you are truly evil, then do what you must.)

He could perfectly picture her face at that moment, and she was torn apart by his hostility that night. She floated there gracefully, her eyes utterly afraid and bursting with tears. He just couldn't do it. He had to disobey.

(Starfire...)

But before he could do anything else, Slade sent his devices into action, instantly paralyzing his friends, ready to kill. Faced with the decision to either listen to Slade and attack his friends...Or to watch them die...Robin felt he had no choice.

(I'm sorry...)

He flinched as he remembered blasting her fiercely with that heat ray. His brain screamed with regret and pain. Starfire deserved anything but that. Robin had failed to realize just how much she mattered to him...and how much he mattered to her. His mind flew like a jet to later on. After Slade's plan had been discovered. After his friends had come to help him.

(Everything OK?)

(I am...sorry...)

(YOU'RE sorry...? For WHAT??)

(When things were bad, there was a moment when I truly believed you were...like Slade...I doubted you, and for that, I am sorry.)

All the pain and frustration he had caused them...And what did he do when faced with it all? He RAN. That BASTARD...Why was he doing this? All for an apprentice? Robin roared to himself. Slade was up to something beyond that...Perhaps it was simply the satisfaction of making the leader of the Titans suffer emotionally, physically, AND mentally. Or maybe it was something more...But WHAT? What was it about the Titans that he sought after so?

And what would he do when he found out about these NEW members...? It suddenly hit Robin. What was he doing, dragging five innocent souls into this mess?! What if something happened to them as dire as what almost did a week ago? He wouldn't be able to live with himself.

All the pieces of paper hanging on the black wall, small devices littering the table he sat at...All of it...What did it matter? Why the he** should he care about Slade?!

He went to throw that shattered piece of mask away, but paused. He stared at it for a moment thoughtfully.

Jolted from his thoughts in the dark, the metal door behind Robin slid open smoothly, shedding a blinding light into the room. It was blinding to him, at least. There she stood, sure enough, her elegant figure equal in beauty to that of her heart.

"Robin..." she murmured sadly, as she stepped into the room.

"Star...?" he mumbled, turning to look at her.

The 'hi-tech' door slammed shut again, and Star slowly approached the table where Robin sat. He could make out her expression from the light that bounced off it behind him. It was concerned and restless. He quickly dropped the mask on the wooden table, letting it rest amongst other objects. It wasn't all dark, there was a small light hanging from the ceiling, which cast a dim glow.

Neither said a word until Starfire reached his side, and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Robin, are you feeling well...?" she asked, sounding a bit nervous.

"Don't worry about me, Star, I'm fine," Robin answered calmly, glancing at her with solemnity.

"I just needed some time alone to think..."

Starfire's face saddened as she realized what was bothering him.

"We have already discussed this, Robin..." she began. "All is forgiven. We know that the reason why you served for Slade was to protect us..."

Robin sighed and let his head drop into his folded arms.

"I know..." he moaned, slightly muffled by his own arms. "But that doesn't change what happened...I've been letting you all down lately...First the Red X, then-"

"Robin," Starfire interrupted. She was not one to interrupt, but she couldn't stand to listen to him put himself down so much.

"There is no changing what has happened...But that does not mean you should feel so bad...We all are to blame, we all have played our part...But what has happened has happened, and could not have happened any other way..."

Robin lifted his head up and stared at her pretty green eyes, and he asked slowly, "What makes you say that...?"

Starfire gave him a half smile. "We are still alive, are we not? And we are still friends..."

(=/[*?*]\=)

"Much better, don't ya think?" Mario asked with a toothy grin, rubbing his upper lip proudly.

"Um...Right," Beastboy mumbled. "You shaved...So what?"

Mario rolled his eyes and sighed. "Do you think I should try and grow a real mustache or just keep shaving it?"

Beastboy shrugged incredulously. "I don't know!" he said with a chuckle. "It's not MY face!"

"I know!" Mario murmured.

"Do whatever you like," Link grumbled, trying to end it.

"OK," Mario responded simply, letting himself sit back down on the couch.

"So, then," he mumbled, cracking his fingers nimbly. "Teach me how do this...uh...What was it again? That really cool thing..."

Cyborg, who was sitting on the coach next to him, laughed. He was gripping a grey device in his hand known as a 'Wavebird.'

"OK, OK...It's called Guard Impacting," he began to explain. "It's a defense technique that throws your opponent off balance just long enough for you to strike them off guard."

"Ohhh," Mario said with a nod. "I see. Yea, that'd be pretty helpful...So, what do I push to do it...?" He stared at his own 'Wavebird' in perplexment. Yet he held it expertly, oddly enough.

"Well, you tap the control stick toward them and press 'B'," Cyborg said quickly, eager for a match.

"OK, OK..." Mario mumbled. "Allright, then let's go at it, shall we?"

Cyborg grinned devlishly. "I thought you'd never ask..."

Mario flicked his thumb around, selecting a character. One in particular caught his eye, and he froze, thoughts flooding into his brain. Images of fairies, Sages, and triangles...

"...What's up with this guy?" Mario demanded calmly, trying to hide his amusement.

"Oh, him?" Cyborg murmured, not paying full attention, glancing at Beastboy's glowing face. He seemed to be itching to play himself.

"That's, uh..."

"Link," Beastboy spat out quickly, without a second thought.

Mario stared at the young man on the screen in disbelief. Link?

It was at that moment that all three of them froze in realization. They stared at the boy on the screen. He had blonde hair, a green tunic, blue eyes...And he grasped a sword with a blue hilt. Not quite the same as the Link they knew, but STILL...

"DUDE!!" Beastboy exclaimed, thrilled.

"No kidding!" Cyborg agreed, grinning. "It looks just like him, man! That's friggin' awesome!"

"SWEET!" BB cried, dashing to get the real Link's attention.

"Dude, Link, man!" he called to the boy, who stared thoughtfully at a painting hanging on the hallway wall, just beyond the living room.

"Huh?" his eyes turned to the green-faced kid.

"You SO have to check this out!"

Link sighed. "What is it now?"

"On our video game, there's this guy that is SO like you! He even has the same NAME as you, man!"

Link blinked in perplexment.

"Um...That's nice," he mumbled, showing no interest, it seemed. Beastboy felt a little disappointed. He thought it was pretty cool. It'd be like him seeing someone who looked like him on some TV show, sharing his same name even.

Shrugging, Beastboy morphed into a chimpanzee and scampered back to the living room. He briskly clambered up the back of the sofa and sat between Mario and Cyborg on the sofa's back.

On the screen, two characters were waging war, fierce slashes and swings flying through the air. It was an entertaining sight.

Cyborg's eyes were bulging with disbelief as he jammed on his controller in frustration.

"What the hell, man?" he murmured in awe as his character fell to the ground at the hands of this odd 'Link' character, whom Mario controlled with the will of his hands.

"You kicked my ass..." Cyborg mumbled in dismay, shocked. "You sure you've never played before...?" His eyes were wide and wondrous as he glared at Mario incredulously.

"Nope. Never. Don't even know what the NAME is," Mario admitted calmly. "My Link took out your Necrid, dude."

Cyborg nodded, frowning with a competitive fury. "Geez, man...That's WHACKED..." he grumbled, quickly preparing a match.

"I take winner!" Beastboy declared hastily, waving his arms, his normal form regained. He fell off the back of the sofa, only to jump back over it and shove Cyborg to the side, stealthily swiping his video game controller.

"Soul Calibur 2 rocks, doesn't it?" he said slyly, smiling with glee. "And you're about to fall to the hands of the master, baby!"

Mario laughed at his friends confidence. "Bring it," he said smoothly.

"So, Cyborg, who should it be? Kilik? Seung Mia...?"

Cyborg pondered a moment. "Kilik, dude," he answered. "Kilik's pretty cool."

"Yea," BB agreed, pressing a few buttons.

Meanwhile, down the hall, Link's eyes were glued to the walls, observing the various artworks.

What he didn't notice was the figure in the shadows, staring at him nervously. She stood, hiding under her cloak. What was it about this boy that made her feel so different?? She had to figure it out...It was more than his looks...But he WAS handsome, there was no denying...

(Don't lose control,) she grumbled inwardly. She was doing well in managing her emotions, but she secretly feared deep inside that they'd come back if she DID talk to him. She just...felt drawn to him. Yes, he was handsome, but...He...There was something about him. For some reason, she felt he understood her.

(...Should I try to talk to him...? Why would he even want to talk to me, anyway?) she thought to herself nervously. From an outward glance, many thought Raven to be a emotionless drone, but she was anything but. She just needed to keep her emotions under control, or else she'd blow up Titan Tower or something...She felt so out of tone, standing there. Something about him made her feel this way, and she wanted to know what it was.

Creeping along like a serpant of some sort, she slithered over to Link, frozen in her tracks behind him. Quivering a bit, she shakily murmured, "Uhh....Hey, Link..."

Link paused and slowly turned around to face her shy, hidden face with his deep blue eyes.

"Huh...? Oh," he smiled. "Hey, there. Uh...Raven, is it?"

She returned his smile, feeling embarassed as she did so.

"Hey..." she mumbled, trying to regain her calm tone.

Link stared at her for a few moments awkwardly before asking slowly, "So, uh...Yea. Hi. What's up?"

Raven blinked, realizing she'd lost herself for a moment.

"Oh! Uh...Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts, and...Ya know, happens a lot, I meditate sometimes and..." She cleared her throat, feeling stupider by the minute.

"You OK...?" Link quizically asked.

"Fine," Raven spat out quietly. "I'm fine. I just wanted to know if we could...I dunno..." She'd gotten back some of her 'Raven-ness.' "Maybe we could hang out...I mean, we're gonna have to get to know eachother...or something like that...aren't we...?"

Link saw right through her mumbles. For some reason, Link felt perfectly comfortable about it. It happened all the time, he had many a fangirl. Right?...Wait...How did he remember that...? Oh, well. It felt fine with him. The more the merrier. ^_^

"Sure, Rave...Where shall we go...?"

Raven pondered a moment, appearing unexcited- Link knew otherwise.

"How about my room...?" Raven timidly suggested.

"Sounds good," Link answered slyly. "Matter of fact, I need to figure out where MY place is gonna be. I was thinking that spiffy study near yours..."

[=-+-##-+-=]

"It's just all...Creepy," she whispered slowly, gazing around at the room before her, admiring the streets below. "This place...It feels so much like home...And yet...It feels so different..." Her eyes glinted with a brownish glow as she pondered her situation.

"Are you worried...?" came the innocent voice of the long-haired girl at her side.

"No...I don't think so..." She sighed, shaking her head as her eyeballs shifted to purple. "Maybe I AM worried...I don't know, Tikal..."

"Tenochtitlan," Tikal said solemnly, nudging her friend's shoulder with her skinny arm. "You can talk to me about it..."

"I know," Tenoch muttered. "Because we're friends..."

Tikal smiled, nodding. "Exactly..."

"But WHY are we friends...?" Tenoch whimpered, confused. "I can't remember us talking or anything..."

Tikal's eyes saddened as she noticed Tenoch's blue hue. It was a tell-tale sign she was upset.

"Do you really need to know why?" she whispered calmly and thoughtfully. "Think about it...No, wait..." She pushed back a few bangs from her eyes as she wondered a moment. "Don't think about it...FEEL it..."

Tenochtitlan finally let her blue eyes meet Tikal's, and she sighed slowly, her shoulders sagging.

"...Tikal...I know...I feel our friendship...I know it's there. I just don't understand it. I mean, I just feel so confused..." She bobbed her head, leaning back on the couch tiredly.

Tikal let out a very similar sigh herself, and leaned forward, resting her chin in her palms, her elbows on her thin legs.

"Tenochtitlan, don't be so critical...I mean...Look at Sonic and I. We're...together...But yet I cannot remember us going out...I can't remember us hugging, I can't remember us talking...I don't remember us at all...And yet...I still feel drawn to him. I care about him, and he cares about me. We're romantically attached, but...Perhaps we never were...Perhaps we've never met until the other day..."

Tenoch was slightly lost, but she got the point. It didn't matter right now what she remembered, only that she knew within her heart what was right. The answers would come soon enough, she felt.

{-)!?""?!(-}

"You think so...?" Beastboy murmured, sounding unsure.

"Positive," responded the other voice. It was a little low, and had a strong sense of justice to it. It sounded comforting, and yet at the same time, it sounded as if its owner was just as confused as the green-faced young man.

The boy's bright emerald eyes deepened in thought as he pondered, grasping the small device close to his ear.

"But...What makes you so sure...?" he muttered skeptically.

"Psh. Listen, B, I can't promise you anything..." A sigh came through the phone's small speaker. "I've been in quite the mess lately myself..." As he said those words, frustration and exhaustion were clear.

Beastboy's eyes sank with sympathy.

"Really?" he mumbled, regretting having brougt the topic up. "...What's up? You...wanna talk about it...?"

The figure on the other side paused, contemplating. "Eh...Nah. I won't waste your time. Just...Listen to me, though, I know the girl."

Beastboy was totally perplexed.

"You DO?" he whispered in disbelief.

"No way..." He furrowed his brows in doubt.

"YES way," answered the voice.

"Really?" the green eyes lit up with excitement. "Well, geez! They're having memory problems and junk, they don't remember where they came from, so maybe-"

"Sorry, I can't..." the voice interrupted, as if expecting that reaction, knowing exactly where it was headed.

Beastboy paused, even more baffled. "...Wha...? Well...Wait, if you know her, then why not...?"

The tone from the other side sighed and explained quickly. "I know her very well, but she doesn't really know me. I can't help, it's not my duty."

"...Dude, WHAT are you talking about?" Beastboy had a slightly frustrated tone and about him.

"Beastboy, just listen. I know exactly how you feel right now." There a sense of longing about the teenage-sounding boy now. "Don't ask why, I just do, OK...? Uh...Call it a 'super power,' if you will, like yours..."

Beastboy grinned. "Sweet! I get it now! You can like, read minds and stuff! Awesome!"

There was a slight chuckle as the boy answered, "Well, yes, it IS awesome, but I can't read every mind. If I could, I wouldn't be in the mess I'm in..."

"Oh...Right...Sure you don't wanna talk?" BB questioned curiously.

"Ugh...Don't worry about it, it's just...It's my problem, and...Yea."

"OK..." Beastboy muttered, a semi-smile on him. "That's cool. I understand."

"But trust me on this, B, she could use somebody like you to help her out. Don't feel afraid to be open with her."

"OK..."

"Good man...Well, uh, if ya don't mind, I'll let ya go. I'd like to talk to one of your other buds, ya know?"

"No prob, big D," Beastboy responded. "We'll hear from ya. Good night!"

"Yep. Good night. Oh, and by the way, you can try all you want to beat that Mario guy, but no matter how fast your reflexes are, you'll still lose..."

*Click!*

Beastboy sat on his bed, baffled. How did he know that Mario had royally whomped everyone's butts in Soul Calibur 2?

<---<*>--->

End Transmission

<---<*>--->

[starburn1116]

that was really good
as to the terra thing
i am a stubborn person and a creature of habbit
as hard as i try i cannot change my opinion
but i will keep said opinion to myself since this argument seem to upset certain people

[Sproxie]

i just finished reading all the chapters put together now, and its really good Fan Fiction, i cant wait to see the next chapter... :D

[oneeyemonkeypie]

who's big D (the guy at the end that BB talked to?)

[rrarbecy]

Wow. Awesome. More. Please. Soon. Love it. Confusion is good. Plenty in this fic. More. Love it.

[Destiny_Smasher]

Um...I never said you were all boys...I was GUESSING.

As for any 'creatures of habit,' I don't care that you're sticking to your guns. All I'm saying is that I would be hurt if you judged me the same way.

But I mostly say that because if you go into this fic hating Terra, you may end up hating the Terra in my fic, who isn't the same because she doesn't get rejected.

Confusing? Bah. This isn't confusing, this is just MYSTERIOUS. It gets more confusing later.

+-{--[*Begin Transmission*]--}-+

The Q4D! Saga...

Winds of Fate: Teen Titans- The X Factor

Chapter 5- The Connection

Shadows danced on the walls, haunting him in the night. He tossed, he turned, but sleep did not come to him. Visions from the past kept him awake.

Their battle with the Whomping Willow, meeting these strangers for the first time. Their first day as a new team. And then older memories came back to him, and he reflected on the past month of his life. Their battles with those creeps, 'The Hive.' And more and more surged back, all at once it seemed.

(Jerk.) (Loser.) (WHAT'D YOU SAY?!) (You got a problem, tin man?!) (Yea, and it smells like cheap hair gel!!)

(...Are we cool...?) (Frosty...)

(Earth is full of many amazing things..) (Yea. Best planet I'VE ever been to...)

(Dude...You can't be the good guys...WE'RE the good guys...)

(Patience, Robin...Patience...)

(She is good at all the games, she knows many depressing poems, she knows all the 'cool moves', and she knows when people are not talking about shovels...)

(Um...This isn't my thing, but...We just beat Slade...Shouldn't we...Celebrate...or something...?)

(Get that cane!!!)

(Someone has disposed of all our blue, furry food...)

(Must have been sent by one of our many admirers... )

(And I am SO digging the cape. It's luscious!) (It's made of a polymer titanium alloy- ten times stronger than steel...)

(It's just a natural part of being unnatural.)

(Remember that thing that attacked Star? It had friends...)

(Beastboy's powers are crucial if this mission is gonna succeed.)

(Cy! Pick up, CY!...Rrr...Dude, I know you're there, Cyborg, the phone's built into your ARM!)

(I respect your choice not to eat meat...Please respect my choice not to eat FAKE meat...)

(You're in MY world now, my duckies!)

(I'm fine, get X!...*zort* I'm fine, get X!)

(Robin, you are my best friend...)

(As much as I hate to admit it, he and I are kind of alike...But there's one thing Slade doesn't have- friends.)

Staring off into the midnight city, Robin sucked in a deep breath. Things had been crazy. But in the end, the satisfaction of knowing that they'd saved at least ONE life...That was all worth it.

#$%^-(+*+)-^%$#

As the rays of morning pierced through his window, he smiled and welcomed their rays lovingly. The smell of tea filled his nose, and the crisp morning air that flowed warmly through the windows joined it to soothe his lungs even more. His sparkling blue eyes gazed around the room in comfort, absorbing the images around him. He would miss this sight soon enough...He was going on a vacation.

As he sat at the plain wooden table leisurely, his arms folded over the back of his neck, he glanced at his brother. His eyes were alert and awake, scanning his newspaper hungrily. While his eyes, identical to his brothers, stayed glued to the newspaper, his free hand grasped his tea firmly, raising it up for a sip every now and then.

It was a quaint house, with nothing extravagant. A stove, a table, some chairs, a small chalkboard. Then there was the bedroom. It had a bunk bed, with a red blanket on the top, and a green one on the bottom. Two dressers, a lamp...And a small panel in the floor that led to their basement when opened. They didn't need a TV or a radio, if they wanted excitement, they could find it outside in minutes. But it was morning, not time for fun just yet.

"Yep..." the paper-reading brother began slowly. "It's in the paper..."

"You surprised?" the first brother murmured, still half asleep.

"Well, no, but..." the seconds trailed off. "Did you think you were gonna win, Mario?"

The first brother, a semi-pudgy man with a thick black mustache and a trademark hat, grinned and scratched through his facial hair. He was clad in a red t-shirt and blue overalls. His right foot did the same to his left foot, and both were in socks.

"Meh..." he started reluctantly. "I dunno...I guess...I just fought and won, that's all. Doesn't matter much, everybody gets their victories."

"True, true," Luigi, the second brother, muttered with a nod. "But you really wanted to win this last time, didn't you?" His eyes stayed stuck to the paper as he spoke.

"Yea," Mario admitted with a smirk. "It's been quite some time since I won, ya know?"

"Oh, yea," Luigi agreed.

"Anything else in there besides the Melee Tournament?" Mario inquired thoughtfully.

Luigi blinked, his eyes removing themselves from it and to Mario. He blinked, sipped some tea, and responded, "Not really. Just the usual. Ya know, th-"

Just then, cutting into their conversation, a familiar voice bellowed out merrily, "MAIL CALL!!" A *clunk* could be heard as their mailbox was slammed shut, and the flapping of wings could barely be heard.

"Oh, I'll get it," Luigi declared, hopping out of his seat and dashing for the door.

Mario yawned, stretched, and almost fell out of his wooden chair.

He caught himself, and pulled himself upright again, his eyes snapping alive. It'd been a long night, indeed. His hat was crooked as Luigi came in, grasping a stack of letters.

He was sifting through them with care, not even noticing his sibling, seeing which ones were for which brother, and who had sent them.

"You got three, Mario," he announced calmly, tossing the triplet of packaged papers before his sibling. He had two for himself, and eagerly sat down to start reading them, slurping from his tea yet again as he did so.

Without even looking at the letters, Mario stared up at the ceiling, concentrating hard...

"...Goombario, Bombette..." he mumbled.

"Hm?" Luigi murmured, not even looking up.

"Malon..." Mario's eyes squinted as he tried for the last one.

"Aaand...Our neice..." he finished, satisfied. "And you," he added, glancing at his brother, "Got one from Miles and another from Daisy..."

Luigi blinked at him, puzzled as to what on Stellon he was getting at, and shrugged it off, mumbling, "Yea..." and returning to his reading.

Mario sighed, rolled his eyes, and took to reading his documents, tearing apart the first envelope calmly. He was testing his vision...And it was correct, he was sure. If only he could tap deeper into its powers, maybe he could do other things, too...

"Dear Mario," began the first letter in a sort of sloppy writing.

"What's up? I watched the tournament last night on our new TV, you ROCKED, man! My Goompa says that he could teach you a thing or two, but that you weren't bad."

Mario chuckled to himself as he thought about the old coot of a Goomba.

"Anyway, the Dojo Master is teaching me and some other guys how to write. It's not easy when you don't have hands, but we can still do it, right? Anyway, I'm glad you won, I know you've been waiting a long time and training real hard. I've been training, too. Maybe sometime soon we can get the gang back together again, huh? Oh! By the way, Bombette's with me right now, she wants to write to you, but...She's still having trouble getting the hang of it, so I'll do it for her, OK? See ya!

~ Goombario"

Mario smiled as he remembered all those guys that he had befriended back then. They still hung out once in a while...But it HAD been a long time, hadn't it?

"Dear Mario,

How are you? I hope you're doing well, I'm trying my best. But it's been hard...I'm still looking for a home for myself. I can't live in Koopa Village forever. But Goombario's family is being very nice and letting me stay with them for a while. I'm thankful. ^_^ I just wanted to tell you that I miss you a lot, and I hope we can see each other soon. When my writing is better, I'll write you myself, OK? Byes!" A heart was drawn, and after it the name, 'Bombette', in an even messier style of writing.

Mario placed the letter down on the table gently, an idea brewing in his head. He was going on a vacation. Not with Peach, no...He was saving that for later...A better time...Now was not a good time...But if he could gather his old pals, that would be pretty fun...

The next letter was made of a pink paper that had some texture to it, and the writing was soft and warm.

"Dear Mr. Mario,

Did you have fun last time you came down? We appreciate you coming in to help the Cuccos, I know it's sort of annoying." Mario thought to himself. But he still had fun, even IF one of them whizzed on his overalls. "I think the party went well. Can you BELIEVE it?! I'm 18! It feels kind of weird saying it, but it's true! ^_^ My father says he can't wait to start up business in Toad Town, and I get to do it for him. I'll be selling Lon Lon goods around to all those people. ^_^ I'm so excited! I've never really been to your home before, at least not for long. Will you give me a tour when I get there? Please? Do you think the townsfolk will be spooked if I bring Epona with me? I hope not, she's a nice horse once she trusts you...Anyway, we wanted to thank you for helping us with our new dog. We're not used to Chomps, but they can be really helpful once you can tame them, can't they? OH! Well, I don't have much else to do, but I'm sure you're a busy man, so I'll let you go now. Thank you for reading; I can't wait to see you guys!

~ ^_^ Malon"

Mario cracked yet another caring grin. Malon was a real sweet girl, wasn't she? Raising animals could be hard, but she was excellent at it. She could probably be a good vet, now that he thought of it. He had a funny feeling she'd love visiting Toad Town, and he'd be happy to show her around.

Then his eyes met the last envelope. He knew who it was from, and he knew that its writer was in frustration.

He carefully tore it open to reveal the sparkling silver paper that he slipped out. It was smooth and shiny, and the writing on it was a dark black. It was from his niece, Crystal. Of course, she wasn't REALLY his niece, but...well...She looked at him as her uncle, which was fine by him.

"Dear Uncle Mario,

Way to go on winning the last Melee tournament, Uncle. You really showed them, didn't you? ^_^ I watched the whole thing on TV with my friends, it was pretty cool. By the way, you haven't seen Luna lately, have you? She just sorta disappeared, and nobody knows where she went...We're worried about her.

My father says that you should come up here to Star Haven real soon, it's been a long time...Actually, I really wish you came, too, I really miss you. Could you please take me OUT OF HERE?! Geno never lets me leave alone, but I asked him, and he said that if you supervised me, it would be all right. Just between us, I'm really mad, though. Dad's been so...controlling lately! I'm surprised he lets me BREATH without needing permission!! >:( I just want to break free from it, you know?

So what if I'm a Dragoshi? That doesn't mean I should be locked up my whole life, does it? I'm just so frustrated...>:( I mean, I'm 17 years old now, and he STILL doesn't believe in me...What should I do? How can I prove to him that I'm ready? Well, I'll see you soon, please write back when you can, or better yet, come up and see us!

Crystal"

Mario sighed deeply, nodding to himself. He knew exactly what was going on, and he was afraid of what was going to happen with his niece. She was a very unpredictable young woman, but...All the same, she was right. If she believed in her heart that she was ready to be free, then...Geno had to put more faith in her.

Doubtful about what to do about it, Mario slowly got up from the table, scooping his letters. He paced to his bedroom and placed them on his dresser with care next to some stationary he would later use to write back. As he entered the kitchen again, Luigi was hard at work jotting back to his own letters.

One had been short and simple, one sent from E. Gadd, a goofy inventor growing in fame.

"Luigi, my boy,

How goes things these days? Just wanted to send you a quick note, chap. I'm working on my newest creations, but I believe I need a few words from you. My only problem is the financial issues. If only I had enough to start things going, I'm sure I could make quite a bit to build myself a full fledged laboratory...Anyway, just wanted to poke in and ask that we arrange an appointment soon, I've improved my gasoline and dandelions soup, you should try it. Until then, lad!

E. Gadd"

The other was from another good friend of Luigi, someone who looked up to him a lot.

"Dear Luigi,

What's up? Things are goin' great here! I'm working on redesigning the Tornado, and I have some really great ideas, you need to come take a look. Other than that, nothing real big has been going on. Just the usual, I guess. Definitely no problems from Eggman...I'm starting to wonder if maybe he really did change his ways...Even Sonic isn't so sure...He did help us save Mobius before. Do you think he only did that because he still wants to control it? I dunno, but at least he's not being a problem, and that's ALWAYS a good thing. I've gotta go, Amy's screwing around with my workshop, who KNOWS what she'll mess up. See ya, Luigi, I'll stop by sometime and show you the Tornado X when it's done!

Miles Prower"

As Luigi's pen scribble replies on his parchment, he looked up to Mario and asked curiously, "So when are you goin'?"

Mario shrugged and mumbled, "I dunno. Probably pretty soon. But...First, how about we gather some buddies and play some tennis before I head off?" He grinned slyly at his brother, who returned the smile.

*=(-__-)=*

Darkness enveloped the visions echoing from the past, his memories of time past clear. But why? Where were these visions coming from? Was this HIM he saw in the past? Why, then, was he...older?

It made no sense!

His groggy eyes tried to see around him as his eager mind forced his body to wake up. He tossed his sheets off of himself and flung his exhausted body out of bed, landing on his rear on the cold floor. He needed carpets...As he slowly got up drowsily, his strange dream plaguing him, he scratched his nose lazily- only to discover that hair was already forming there once again. He paused in thought a moment, remembering the definite mustache on this character he had seen...This character he had BEEN, rather, in his dream...Or memory...WHATEVER it was.

So many pieces of the puzzle, but none of them fit together just yet...

With a heavy sigh, Mario paced to the wall of his room that was a huge window and glared up at the night sky, feeling at one with the stars as he did so.

(+*]-!-[*+)

The blowing sands bit at her innocent blue eyes, stinging them like needles. Her palms still burned from the day before in her attempts to free Chaos from that maniacal creature...She almost died, he would've killed her, too...What had he done to her? He'd...sucked out a part of her...It felt so much like parts of her were missing...She was still HER, but...Not entirely. It was so strange...And the feeling did not settle well in her heart OR her mind.

As she glanced down at her blistered, peach-colored hands, she winced as she remembered all the pain that had surged into her that evening...Not just her pain, but the pain of hundreds. He'd destroyed Station Square, and in the process destroyed many lives, as well as Angel Island. Such an act, she felt, was unforgivable. But was violence really how to settle things...?

As her frightened eyes looked up at the strong blue figure to her side, she felt some relief. No matter what, just looking at him made her feel better. That determined look in his emerald eyes...Sometimes it glowed even more fiercely than the Master Emerald itself- to her, at least. Already very close to him, riding side by side on this odd yellow ostrich of sorts, Tikal swallowed, her throat dry, and pressed her body against his, tears running down her face. A few quills of pale orange dangled over her face, and as the blue hedgehog beside her looked down, he saddened.

In a manner almost unlike him, Sonic gently brushed the soft 'hair' from in front of her eyes. He placed his fingers on her chin, and slowly raised it until she stared back at him.

"Tikal..." he murmured sympathetically. "It's all right...Everything's gonna be OK..."

She sniffled, and whispered back, "How do you know...?"

Sonic closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath.

"I just do...It doesn't matter HOW I know...But everything will be OK..."

After a moment's thought, Tikal shakily replied.

"I know..." She swallowed again, parched from this dessert, her voice a bit dry itself. "But...That doesn't change what happened...He killed them...All those Chao...All those people...My home...And he took Chaos Zero...What are we to do...?"

Sonic's head bobbed slightly, and his eyes wandered a bit as he mumbled, "We'll do whatever we do. Whatever out hearts tell us to do. That's how I've lived my whole life, and everything's worked out so far, right? What do you always say?"

Tikal's eyelids drooped a little more after he said that, and a small smile cracked.

"It's always darkest before dawn..." she whispered, trembling.

"Exactly..." Sonic agreed.

As the two of them leaned on each other for support, both emotionally and physically, Tikal reached her tired arm out and grabbed Sonic's hand within her own. She squeezed with all her might at the moment, which wasn't much.

{][(*)][}

Her eyes slowly opened as she lay there in her bed, her pale orange strands of hair all over the place. Her blanket had been tossed off her, and she was very sweaty. Her throat was dry, and she coughed a bit, feeling very thirsty. She sat up, slightly dazed, and rubbed her forehead. Gazing around, she realized where she was. Titan Tower. Yes, of course.

But, then...Where had she JUST BEEN? A dream.

Why did it feel so real? Like a memory, a clear and present memory...

Confused, she instantly raised her palm up to her face. No blisters, no burns...They were fine...

Well, of course they were fine! It had only been a memory...A dream! Yes, a dream...Or maybe not...? She didn't know anymore. Who DID know? But...She suddenly remembered what it felt like. Sonic...Yes, it was HIM, it WAS...But...It felt so MUCH like him, and yet...It wasn't the Sonic she had just been with mere hours ago, now was it?

With a worried expression about her, Tikal slipped her feet off of her bed and trekked off for a drink of cold water.

And, of course, on her way there, she was scared half out of her wits to see Beastboy prowling the halls- as a wolf.

"Geez...Sorry there," he muttered as he turned back into his default form. "When ya gotta go, ya gotta go..."

+~=*(=)*=~+

Those eyes...They were identical in color and radiance as his own. As he stared at them in perplexment, they clearly seemed worried. She felt so awkward, standing there, looking at him...

It had been such a long day, and neither of them had spoken to each other the whole time. And here they stood, the sun setting off in the horizon, the legions of 'warriors' around them bustling.

The spiky-headed teen that stood before the nervous girl blinked quickly, expecting a response by now. Realizing that maybe trying to speak in a crowd of people was making Amy very uncomfortable, he cleared his throat and said loudly, fighting through the noise, "Why don't we go out there for a sec?"

Amy's eyes jumped awake again, and she nodded, her cheeks slightly changing to a pink. Sonic grinned cockily and grabbed her hand, and within the next couple of seconds, all Amy could see was a blur of colors, until it was all a reddish gold, air rushing across her body.

It all came to an abrupt stop, and she felt herself continue to fall, only to be caught nimbly by Sonic's firm grip and placed upright again.

"So," Sonic began, starting to feel nervous himself from the look in her eyes. "What did ya need...?" his voice squeaked slightly at the end.

Amy giggled quietly at him as she reached out her delicate arm. Her fist was balled up tightly, holding something.

"Um..." she murmured. "Back at Star Haven...I-I made this..."

Her hand opened up to reveal a bracelet. It was fairly simple. A black string that ran through some seashells, as well as something else. It was a small shard of glittering, glowing rock. A mesmerizing shade of yellow, it seemed to be a piece of a fallen star.

"...I-I thought that m-maybe you should have it..." Amy tried to speak clearly, her face red. "I-It'll bring you good luck, and..." she trailed off, trembling.

Sonic's eyes were wide and wondrous as he stared at it, and Amy's face winced with worry. What if he didn't like it? What if he just huffed and grumbled about how annoying she was like he usually did...?

Sonic's face was solemn and almost serious. Those eyes shifted up to Amy, and she felt herself freeze. But then, to her surprise, a smile crawled across it. A very warm smile.

"Amy...I'll wear it proudly..." he told her softly. "Thank you..."

Amy's face lit up with glee and she let out a squeal. Diving at Sonic in joy, she wrapped her arms around him delicately, leaning her head on his shoulder. Sonic, at first, was taken aback, but accepted the hug gratefully. At least he had made someone happy...Right now, he felt as if everything he was doing was wrong. He'd failed all those people back on Mobius...At for that one moment, it didn't matter.

Knowing Amy wouldn't let go of her own accord, Sonic eased her away a bit, and she let herself off. Her eyes watery, Amy gently held Sonic's right arm and slipped the bracelet she'd made. After it had been placed on, she tightened it so that it wouldn't fall off his relatively skinny arm.

"There..." she mumbled. "It looks good on you..."

Sonic flipped the shells around to examine the mother of pearl on its underside. Beautiful.

"I think it looks great..." he admitted, smiling.

"Thank you..." Amy muttered, backing away a bit to give him his space. She sifted her soft quills back from her cheeks as she did so. For second, Sonic wished she hadn't moved away, but he cleared it away.

For a moment or two, they blinked at each other warmly, yet that awkwardness hung in the air.

I just put your hands all over him!! Amy scolded herself. I might as well have yanked his tail and...Come to think of it, why DIDN'T I?!

Sonic was too busy admiring his newly acquired accessory to notice Amy's red cheeks. Dirty thoughts, dirty thoughts, Amy scolded herself, again.

~Anyway, I know he likes Tikal...What was I THINKING? This is crazy... Amy's worried look became an embarrassed smile. ~But Sonic makes me do crazy things...~ Her smile grew wider and her blush even redder, the dim light from the sun's almost full vacancy making it harder to tell.

"HEY, GUYS!!"

They both jumped and glared at the caller, who was waving his arms, dashing toward them.

"You're gonna freeze out here!" It was a small, red creature. He was about half as tall as Sonic, had a lizard-like appearance, and stood on two legs. His eyes were a sparkling blue, and at the tip of his tail glowed a brilliant flame, like a huge candle.

"Oh," he paused, a drop of sweat trickling down the back of his neck. "Um...Am I interrupting something...?"

Sonic paused, his eyes wandering, and Amy blurted out, "No! No...We're fine..."

"Oh..." The creature, a Charmander, smiled slyly at her. "If you say so..." He knew that expression all too well from his friend Falco. He knew EXACTLY what that expression meant.

"Freeze?" Sonic muttered, confused. "Torch, we're out in the middle of the damm dessert!"

"Well, YEA!" Torch grumbled back, rolling his eyes. He pointed to the almost set sun.

Sonic's eyes widened. "OH!"

Amy was clueless. "What is it?" she whispered fearfully. "What's wrong...?"

Sonic tossed his arms carelessly. "No prob. It's just that desserts get really cold at night...Did we figure out the fire yet?"

Torch nodded confidently. "Oh, yea. Everything's fine. Now we just need to figure out how we're gonna sleep...All...What? Fifty of us?"

"More than that," Sonic replied with a smirk. "But we sure as hell showed that over-sized earthworm and his little buddies, didn't we?"

A snoring escaped his throat as he lay there, sound asleep. His spiky blue hair was a little messy, though. He was sprawled on his back, and some drool dripped out of his mouth. His bedroom was even more empty than the other newcomers, because he only used it for sleeping. he had to be all over the place. SO all he really had was a bed and a dresser. Sonic would much rather dart from room to room in Titan Tower than settle in his own room. After all, it was a bedroom. To him, all in needed was a bed, right?

Sleeping only in a pair of boxers, his bright blue blanket was laid upon him loosely. His right up poked out from under it and was wrapped around his head in an odd fashion. And strapped around his right arm was a beautiful necklace made of seashells and a glittering star piece.

[-=-{+-:?:-+}-=-]

"...??..Wire Frames....??" she murmured in fright and despair as she gazed down at the city below, watching hordes

The anthro-leoperd was standing next to her solemnly, her arms crossed over her chest.

"We have to leave. They're coming to take you, and I don't know what they'll do...." she growled seriously.

Tenoch turned to this beast swiftly.

"Where are you from? How did you get here? What is your purp-"

She was frozen by the cat's amber eyes, and she seemed to understand it all by using HER eyes. Yes, it was clear...

She was sent here by a huge, furry, white dragon with a small team to rescue the monkey and a few of the others. It was her mission to make sure they didn't their hands on the 'queen' of Monkey City.

".....??" She stared harder, trying to learn more, but was swiped up off the ground and onto the leopard's shoulder.

"??!!! HEY!! What are you doing?!" she shrieked in surprise.

"I'm getting you out of here!" Shina replied to the struggling ape girl.

"But..!! I can't leave! My people...!! They...We have to help them!" Tenochtitlan screamed, kicking.

"No time..." Shina replied coldly in a gruff snarl.

Tenoch was stupefied. Why was there an army attacking her city again? And she remembered- The Metal Bros......They had come back, she knew...But why? What did they want with her? She didn't have time to ponder this. She had to go and help them! She would protect them or die trying!

Just then, one of her higher ranking military monkeys dashed in, panting. Scratches covered her body, and what little her armor she wore was dented in a few places.

"Tenochtitlan!!.....Ayuu ki dall oo eek bon ramali kleaka!!" she cried.

"Yo nedd! Yo nedd!" Tenoch replied in a worrisome tone. Shina put the monkey down, but she knew there was not much use in waiting. Their success rate decreased with each passing second.

The other ape suddenly noticed Shina and got scared.

"No, no!!" Tenoch yelled, waving her hands frantically.

"It's all right! She's a friend...She's here to help..."

The guard straightened her bent helmet hastily, wiping some blood from her cheeks.

"Whew...But, Tenochtitlan...What should we do?"

Tenoch thought as she stared at one of her most loyal subjects. After some contemplation, she answered.

"Maya...They're here to get me. Tell everyone to run. Tell them to hide. Do whatever they must...For it is I they want...."

Maya frowned, shaking her head in disapproval.

"You know we cannot do that! Your people are loyal to you. They won't listen...They would rather give their lives for you than let you into their hands...They'll stop this threat as long as they can! YOU are the one who should be leaving! We can fend them off! Don't worry!"

Tenoch paused. This was getting quite dire quite fast, wasn't it?

"I..But...." she fumbled, confused.

Shina roared in frustration.

"WE DON'T HAVE TIME!! You have to leave, NOWWW!!!" Her groans echoed down the hallways of marble and stone of this temple.

"If they get you, it could be extremely dangerous for all of us! You have to come with me!"

Tenoch bit her lip, turned to Maya, and gave her a tight and desperate embrace.

"Please..." she whispered, as Shina lifted her onto her shoulders roughly.

"Try to make them escape...I don't want to see them hurt..." Tears were welling up in her eyes, because she knew deep down that

Maya showed an unconfident look, her body trembling. She waved good bye, and scampered away, mustering all the courage she could.

Tenoch quickly glanced around, her eyes purple and wide.

"What about....What about Tikal?! Or Crystel, or Inky, or-"

"They're safe, my allies are getting them as we speak...." Shina firmly mumbled.

Tenoch would have to trust her word.

Just then, another familiar primate came in, looking half dead. He was wobbling around, quite injured from the looks of it. Monkeys were dashing all around down the halls of this great piece of architecture, but Tenoch recognized this one in an instant.

"Prometheus?!!" Tenoch started to tear at the sight of him. He was hurt pretty badly, blood dripping all over his face from who knew what. It appeared as if his arm was broken as well.

"Ahh...*cough* Yes," he began, his voice raspy and weak. "....Tenochtitlan....Yes..Cheerio, eh? What a pleasant night it is..." He smiled warily, and coughed a bit of red fluid onto the ground before him.

Tenoch wanted to reach down and help him, but Shina wouldn't allow it.

"Pro...." She looked down at him. "Why are you here?" her voice was trembling, her heart racing.

"You have to get out of here! You could get killed!" she forced the words out.

"Then die I shall, while serving your pure soul!" he cried out valiantly.

Shina realized these two were close, and if she didn't help this wounded fellow, the priestess would be whining about it the whole way out. So, she scooped him up in one arm and tucked him underneath an armpit.

"I say....Since when did leopards get bosoms like THAT..??" Prometheus murmured in awe as he gazed at the formations on the anthro creature's chest.

Tenoch scowled and grumbled a bit, and Prometheus snapped back to the dire situation at hand.

"Ah! No time for levity! Quite right!"

Finally, Shina pounced onward toward one of the balconies. She hopped off of the ledge, and her cargo cried out in shock as she slid down the stone blocks of the pyramid, the wind rushing past them. After she landed on the dirt ground, she started to make a mad dash for the outskirts of the city. Flames and screams engulfed their path, and Tenochtitlan realized the horror of what was happening.

While running, Prometheus slipped out of Shina's grasp, and went tumbling to the ground. Tenoch gasped, and Shina slid to turn around and get him.

There they saw a wolf running at them. A wolf with piercing red eyes, a white shirt, and jean shorts. The same type of creature as Shina was- a Zoanthrope.

"Yugo!!" Shina cried.

But then she realized Yugo had his hands full with Inky on his back, and the Chao all in his arms. The ink badger was utterly confused and horrified, while the other small creatures were quivering uncontrollably.

Shina let out a growl and ran back to get Prometheus. She had just snatched him up when a mole wearing a cape and black pants came whizzing by, Crystel and Tikal in hand.

The Zoanthrope, named Bakuryu, came whizzing by in a blur, and Shina got a good grip on Prometheus before heading off again.

But a strange metallic figure gave pursuit, and launched a ball of glowing red liquid metal at the escapees.

Shina tried her best to dodge it, but got nicked it the shoulder, and she dropped Prometheus again.

Tenoch, who was riding on Shina's back, was terrified. She jumped off to run back, but was caught in midair by Shina, and the powerful leopard kept running.

Tenoch yelled back at Prometheus, who looked up at her and smiled, glad too see she was still all right.

Little did he know Metal Mario was standing right behind him, his icy, emotionless eyes glaring downward.

The silver villain picked him up with ease and tossed him straight into a building behind him, cracking the wall.

Tenoch screamed when she saw Pro slide down the wall to the ground, blood covering him. Her black eyes burst water, and she moaned in horror.

And she knew.....He was dead.

Speechless, she stopped struggling, and just let Shina take her away. Her glazed eyes were glued to the bloody mess that had once been her friend. Gaping at the sight of him know, she felt overwhelmed.

"RUN!!" Metal Mario bellowed. "Go ahead, we've got what we want!! Sooner or later, you will be ours, too, Tenooky...Takkawee....WHATEVER!!!" he spat out hastily. His voice was fading into the distance, so he screamed his last words.

"BUT I PROMISE YOU...THEY WILL ALL BE DEAD!!"

{~_+~*~)~^~(*~+_~}

She snapped awake like a bolt of lightning, sitting upright in her bed. Beads of sweat dripped down her face, and her soft black hair was a bit sticky and disheveled. Her eyes were a midnight black, frightened and wet. Her body was trembling uncontrollably, and she tried to calm herself down. Searching for comfort, her hands fumbled in the dark room, until they arrived upon the smooth staff leaned against her bed. She gripped the staff tightly, feeling somewhat soothed, but still scared.

Why...? Why did they have to do this to her...? They killed her people, destroyed her home...And for what?

Tenochtitlan paused, staring at her staff fearfully, still quivering. She realized.

She let out a short shriek as her bedroom door flew open, and a figure stood there in the dark, staring at her. Wide-eyed and afraid, Tenochtitlan held her breath for a moment.

"Dude...Uh...Tenoch, you OK...?"

She sighed of relief, wiping some sweat from her forehead.

"...Beastboy..." she murmured, recognizing his voice.

Beastboy felt very odd standing in her doorway, so he let himself in, hoping he hadn't done anything rude.

"Um...Listen, I, uh...I heard you scream, and..." He rubbed his neck nervously as he approached her bed in the dark.

"I-I'm, OK..." Tenoch answered, her voice shaking with her body. It was dying down slowly.

"You sure? You sound freaked out..." he checked.

"I-I...I just h-had a dream...A b-bad dream..." she whispered as a tear flowed down her cheek. But the green teen couldn't see.

"Oh...Well, it must've been pretty scary," he mumbled uneasily. "Sounded like somebody was kidnapping you or something..."

"Y-yes, something like th-that..." Tenoch mumbled, hunched over on her bed. She didn't use a blanket, she felt too warm under one. She was used to warmer weather...At least she THOUGHT she was...

Beastboy didn't know what else to say. She seemed to want to be alone.

"Well, uh...Just checkin'...I'll go now, so...I hope you can sleep well..."

With a shrug and a confused expression, he exited the room. But just as the door was about to close behind him, Tenoch reached out.

"Thank you, Beastboy." It was a little scared still, but warm and thankful.

He paused and smiled, though his back was still to her.

"No prob...Good night..." he said back kindly.

*)(#0+0#)(*

The wind playfully rushed past them as they rode the great field, the galloping of the horse they rode rhythmic and unending.

The small girl who rode behind him giggled with glee, waving her arms around merrily. Her voice was sweet and soft, and her appearance also made it seem her personality reflected these traits as well.

"Where are we going?" she curiously squealed, her voice raised a bit.

The solemn figure who held the magnificent horse's reigns stared straight ahead, his gaze as firm as Death Mountain.

"We're heading back to the castle..." he grumbled seriously. "What are you so happy about?" he demanded sternly. He quickly retracted his firmness. "Sorry...I don't get it, though..."

The green-haired girl behind him frowned sadly. Her scrapes and cuts still burned, but just riding Hyrule field with Link made her forget about them.

"I'm trying to be optimistic..." she murmured sadly.

"Yea, well...Isn't it a little hard when your home just got demolished?" Link inquired.

Saria sighed deeply and tried to explain. "Of course it is...But I remember that I still have you to lean back on. And that's all I need to be happy..."

Link felt a bit touched by such a simple remark. But nonetheless, this was a dire situation. He had to gather Zelda and get the heck out of here. No doubt those Wire Frames were hot on their trail at that very moment.

"You're right," he admitted quietly. "But that doesn't mean we should sit back and let bad things happen..."

Saria nodded curtly. "Oh, of course." She held back a laugh, but it sputtered out moments later. She spoke in a sarcastic voice, gruff and deep. At least as much so as she could muster. "We have to handle things seriously. Let's go and hack their heads off, might makes right." A flurry of giggled erupted afterward.

Link rolled his eyes and sighed. Normally he would love her company, but now...It was just a little irritating, he wasn't all happy and joyous.

"You Kokiri really DON'T ever grow up, do you?" he questioned. It was hard to tell whether he meant this in a joking manner or not, however.

Saria noticed this and quickly calmed down.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I'm just trying to cheer you up. What's the point in frowning when you can try to smile. Look at the bottle half full!"

"Half full of bugs?" Link replied.

Saria shook her head. "You know what I mean!" she snapped playfully. "Oh, fine. Let's go and chop somebody's head off!" She snickered, punching his shoulder a little. "There's no stopping you."

Link cracked a smile.

"Slashing somebody? Well, if you insist..."

Epona, Link's faithful and loyal mare, let out an excited whinny.

"Damm right," Link cried out in agreement.

|-_\\|//_-|

Saria...?

Link sat, hunched over the edge of his bed. His elbows rested on his knees, and his chin in his palms. He was trying to sort this out.

Saria...

The name alone didn't ring a bell, but the girl's face...Her voice, her smile, her giggle. He KNEW it. It was as if he'd grown up listening to it...

But why in Hyrule would he be riding with this bruised girl to a castle...? Zelda. Hm.

Zelda...Castle...Wire Frames...?

Then it clicked. ZELDA!! A beautiful girl with golden hair and blue eyes...Yes!! The girl he adored, the girl who adored him. The girl that had dragged him into this whole 'save your country' stuff. But he loved her all the same, as pushy as she could be.

With this piece of information added to his memory banks, he still didn't have enough, If the figure in the dream was him, then why did he look different...? Everyone had point ears, and pointy noses...Why?

"Gah," he grumbled, feeling as though he'd done enough contemplating for one night. He needed to get back to sleep. The next day was sure to be interesting, and he wanted to be rested-up for it.

But there was a clear connection forming in his mind. His connection with this 'Hyrule' place.

The connection he and all his friends shared. But at that moment, this connection was only clear in the subconscious world of their dreams...

~[-/--+>]~

End Transmission

{\+-\-->+/}

[Sproxie]

man i cant wait to see what happens next!
( im very impatient) :shrug:
keep up the good work!

[oneeyemonkeypie]

lost. totally, utterly lost. so many memory fragments, why doensn't anyone know who they are?

this is so confusing! keep writing, I have to figure this out.

[starburn1116]

that was really good
i'm kind of confusedbut you say that will clear
continue soon

(p.s. i'm a girl)

[raven54]

i is also confuzzled... oh whatever i'll get it at some point:)

[rrarbecy]

Ow, my head. How confusing can a story get. I like mystery and stuff like that, but this is... woah. Its great one, the story that is.

[Crowgirl]

Okay, this is my own little speech thingamabob.


You're story is really, really good. I, like others, am a little confuzzled, but that will eventually work out, right?

Another thing, I just looked back at what I said earlier and I sound like a cold jerk (quoted) so, I'm sorry about that.:sweat:

Write more please!

[Destiny_Smasher]

Yeaaa...:sweat: Figured that would confuse people. It's supposed to, actually, so don't worry.

I mean, if you've read my main story, you may remember sections and such, as a lot of that Chapter was taken directly from it, and all...

If you've played the VG series related to the characters, then many of them will be familiar faces. Just don't that overwhelm you, it'll all come together later, I promise. I like to keep my readers curious and on their toes, but I always come through with the solution sooner or later.

What I like to do is drop puzzle pieces all over the place, but in such a way that it's often unlikely that the puzzle will be solved until the last minute, and when it is my readers can look back and go, "OH! NOW it all makes sense!! :zim: "

By the way, sorry for how my thought quotes seem to change...It's hard because I used to have a set way of going about things, but formatting on sites changed, n'...

Gah, just enjoy.

I counted the word Confused (or a close relative) 4 times since my last update...

And CrowGirl, it's all good. You don't have to like Terra, but I get offended when people are judged like that- whether they're real or ficticious. Regardless, I think you'll like Terra in this fic.

<-{--[*<Begin Transmission>*]--}->

The Q4D! Saga...

Winds of Fate: The X Factor

Chapter 6- Worried

{OK...We gotta get some work done today...} Robin thought to himself as he paced through the halls, which were slightly illuminated. {Let's see...It's about 8:00...So we should get to combat training at about 10:00...}

As he made his way to the huge living room, he could definitely hear music floating through the air. But it wasn't their jazzy 'theme song'...No, it certainly sounded more like an 'oldies' tune. As he walked onward, the sound of it got louder and louder. And he could begin to hear and comprehend the lyrics, too.

"He sits in the treetop, all day long,

Rockin' and a-boppin' and singin' this song.

All the little birdies on Jay Bird Street

Love to hear the Robin go 'Tweet-tweet-tweet!

Rockin' Robin!

Tweet! Tweet, tweet!

Rockin' Robin!

Tweet!...Tiddly tweet!

He came upon the large room that overlooked the city. The big couch before the giant TV was shaking from that raving red-capped lunatic dancing about. Beastboy, meanwhile, was shifting from one type of bird to the next, chirping and squaking every which-way possible. Cyborg, for whatever reason, was doing 'the Robot'. Sonic was standing off in a corner of them room, tapping his feet to the tunes, but staring solemnly at a bracelet fitted on his arm.

A grin crept across Robin's face as he saw them all. Mornings were certainly livlier now, weren't they?

It was interesting, indeed. Raven wasn't meditating, she was leaned up again a wall adjacent the door Robin had walked in. She didn't look irritated, angry...She looked calm. And a hint of a smile was on her. A little creeped, Robin avaoided looking at her and scanned the room. Just about everyone was there, weren't they...?

Just then, the cheerful emerald eyes he knew well appeared before him as Starfire glided over.

"Good morning!!" she cried merrily as 'Rockin' Robin' played in the background. Robin was smiling, a little surprised at everything.

"Yea..." he murmured. "Looks like it. Good morning."

"'Bout time you woke up!" Cyborg cried as he came clomping over. "Mario said he's gotta show you sumthin'!"

"What's that?" Robin inquired, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Over there," Cy bellowed, motioning Robin to head to the small table in front of the TV where (much to everyone's amazement) the remote sat.

"'Sup, Pelican?" Mario greeted with a smirk. he was laid back on the couch, relaxed, tapping his socked feet.

"Thanks for the tune," Robin said with a smile. "Uh...Cyborg said you had to show me something...?"

"OH! Right," Mario sat up straight in his seat and begun to dig in his overall pockets. His hands sifted around the denim until he found what he was looking for.

"Here, man," he said, giving a small envelope to the black-haired Titan. "I found it right here-" he tapped the coffee table briskly, "-this morning when I came downstairs."

With a curious face, Robin muttered, "Thanks," and pried open the envelope, which had no writing on its surface.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Link was laughing at Tenochtitlan, who seemed intent on cooking a half-decent breakfast, at least for herself.

She was still in pajamas, which she had decided she liked a lot. She had no memories of pajamas...And Starfire had let her borrow some of her own. They were fuzzy, covered her whole body, and were a light pink color. many people her age would argue they were 'childish', but Tenochtitlan could care less, and she wasn't used to people telling her what was 'childish' or not anyway.

"Does that look OK...?" she murmured, unsure, staring at a few pieces of french toast that she was attempting to make.

"See? MAN, what did you do your whole life?" Link snickered. "Did your parents cook for you the whole time or something?"

Tenoch was ignoring him at the moment, paying much more attention to Tikal's advice.

"Hm...Well, they look fine. You should flip them over and let the other side cook..."

"A-Allright, thanks," the dark-skinned girl mumbled, her eyes purple. Tenochtitlan was feeling very uneasy. Her dream...What had it meant? She felt so odd, out of place...Like she didn't belong here, she wasn't supposed to be here.

Sonic came walking in, perplexed and silent. He didn't run, he didn't smile...He just walked in, staring at the ground. Tikal noticed this strange behavior within a second, and immediately rushed to his side as he went to sit down on a stool next to Link.

"Sonic...?" her gentle tone inquired. "What's wrong...?"

Sonic glanced up at her, and blushed in surprise. He hadn't noticed she was in the room. He crossed his arms over his chest hurriedly.

"I, uh, well...I dunno, nothin's wrong..."

Tikal read him like a book- or more like a bright, red flag with neon lights- and placed her hand on his shoulder. She leaned on him gently, putting her other hand on his chest.

"It's all right, you can tell me..." she whispered. Sonic was now feeling VERY uncomfortable...

"Aaagghhh..." was all he could manage.

Tikal's eyes glanced over Sonic's shoulder to see Link's smirk.

"Here," she muttered, motioning him to stand up. "Come on."

Sonic reluctantly followed her, trying to hide his arm as best he could.

She was almost pulling him, and he finally gave in.

"A-All right, I'm comin'..."

As he wandered into the hallway with Tikal, he stared down at the jangling bracelet on his arm. The glowing yellow fragment on it glimmered more than usual for a moment, or so he thought.

Tikal's investigating eyes read Sonic carefully.

"Something's wrong," she declared softly.

"Wh-what are ya t-talkin' about? I never said something was wrong..." he stammered in defense.

Tikal wrapped her arms around him and said slyly, "You don't have to say something's wrong. But...If something is..." Her tone had shifted to being concerned and gentle.

Sonic was running his hands through his spiky hair nervously, when Tikal noticed the fair bracelet wrapped around his arm.

"Oh!" she cried in delight.

She brushed back some pale, orange bangs hurriedly as she inspected the cute trinket.

"This is so precious," she murmured in awe. "Where did you get it from?"

Some drops of sweat trickled down Sonic's neck as he stammared his answer.

"W-well, I, uh..."

Tikal could immediately tell something was up, and Sonic knew that SHE knew as he stared at her sympathetic blue eyes.

"OK..." he moaned. "I had a dream last night, but...It felt so REAL, so right..."

His eyes had wandered, and when they came back, Tikal's eyes were wide with wonder, her jaw was dropped, and her grip on Sonic's hands had tightened.

"You were blue...And spiky..." she whispered in awe. "...Right?"

"Yea..." Sonic muttered back, perplexed.

"It felt like...-"

"-It was really happening," Tikal finished.

After a moment to reflect, Tikal asked, "So, someone gave that to you- in your dream- and you woke up...With it on...?"

Sonic nodded, his brows furrowed.

"You think...the others...?" he mumbled thoughtfully.

"We might as well find out..." Tikal concluded solemnly.

+](÷##÷)[+

Robin had disapppeared suddenly, and Starfire- as always- became instantly worried.

"Cyborg?" she inquired the relaxed Titan. "Have you seen Robin...?"

Cyborg shook his head calmly. He paused, pondered, then lifted his index finger.

"Uh, yea, Star, actually he was here just a second ago, I think..."

Starfire's pretty green eyes scanned for her handsome little hero, but...He wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"Yes...He was headed for his 'Slade' room," Raven muttered to her minutes later, trying to meditate.

Starfire's heart sank as she remembered how Robin always seemed to act when he was in that room. As thoughts flooded her, she soared through the halls.

{Robin and I are drifting apart...} she thought sadly to herself. {He is so...alone lately...I wish I could make him happy...} She drifted there, in front of that cold, uninviting door. Her head was bobbed, and her left arm was gracefully latched onto her right one.

{Perhaps it is my fault...} she worried to herself. {Maybe I have let him down...?}

With a deep sigh, Star let out a little whimper as she pushed the red button on the wall, causing the metal door to slide.

She was greeted by the dark room she had come to despise. There he sat, at his desk, hunched over something. That dim, yellow light barely covered Robin's desk, as usual.

As the metal door slammed behind her, she was almost overcome with nervousness as Robin didn't seem to notice her. Perhaps now was simply a bad time...?

Shrouded in darkness, Starfire slowly let herself fall to the ground, landing lightly on her feet. She stood a mere few feet behind Robin, trembling a bit. Was he angry? Should she leave?

She took a deep breath and swallowed, preparing to reach out for him. She opened her mouth to speak and slowly reached out her arm, but before she could say a word, he spoke.

"Hey, Star." He sounded perplexed as he turned around to face his good friend. "What's up?"

Star was a bit surprised at Robin's relatively calm attitude.

"Umm...I-I was just worried you were...-" she trailed off, noticing he understood.

"-Trying to figure out Slade...?" He smiled a little. "No, that's not on my mind right now..." He sounded a little concerned about something, however.

Starfire couldn't fully see him because his back was to the light, so she swiftly glided around the table to face him- so both faces were bathed in ample amounts of light.

"Is something wrong, Star...?" Robin inquired, sensing the uneasiness about her. He stared at her deep, troubled eyes. They were innocent, caring...Robin sometimes wondered what the group would be like without her...Would it still even be a group...?

Starfire fiddled with her hands for a few moments, unsure as to how to respond. Her eyes, avoiding Robin's, caught sight of an envelope on the desk, which had a letter on it.

"Is this what you are worrying about...?"

She scooped it up quickly, scanning the symbols written on it. She was pretty confident in her reading skills, though she was from another planet.

"Dear Titans," she read aloud. "Congratulations on the new additions to your team. But I also understand that trouble is brewing. I haven't seen you out fighting crime these past few days, but I assure you that bad things are coming. I plan to meet you all in person before things get too crazy. I hope things work out for the best...But I can make no promises. Things are not going according to their original plans...I don't mean to trouble you so much, but you really must be careful. Best of wishes...-" Starefire smiled as she read the name. "With love, Destiny Smasher..."

She placed the letter down on the table as she remembered what Destiny Smasher- Eddy- had said. He'd said she should talk with Robin about her feelings, hadn't he...? She was still...planning on it. But planning and doing were different things.

She glanced back up at Robin warily. No...Now was not the right time...

"Worried about it...?" Robin finally wondered. "Well...Not about the letter. Just...These new guys..." he sighed.

Starfire's eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean...?" she murmured, a tone of fright emerging. "What is wrong with our new friends?" she demanded calmy.

"Nothing," Robin replied quickly. "It's just that...I think they're here for a reason...Ya know?" He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "They don't remember where they're from, they just..showed up...And this Destiny Smasher guy...How does he know what's going on...?"

He frowned in perplexment, resting his chin in his palm, his elbow on the table. Starefire stared sadly at him.

{There is surely some way I can help him...}

"Why, Robin, do you worry so much...?" she asked quietly.

Robin sighed, shaking his head. Still staring at his desk, he answered.

"I'm a leader. A leader has to take responsibility. Everytime something goes wrong, I feel like it's my fault. And I just...-" He huffed, his eyes glancing away. "I've screwed up too many times as it is. You...and the other Titans..." He looked up to face her with regret on his expression. "You almost died...because of my mistakes. That's not going to happen to these new guys...That's not going to happen ever again."

Starfire's eyes were glazed with sorrow as she leaned over the table to stare at him with concern.

"Robin, do not say such things!" she scolded him. Her voice was still sweet and soft as usual, but firm as well. As she went on, that tone got sadder.

"Things are not your fault! We are a team, and when things go bad it is not anyone's fault! It is not your fault when we are hurt...It is the crinimal's fault...You fight to stop them..."

"Then why did I BECOME one?" Robin growled, not at Star, but at himself. He really was like Slade...wasn't he...? No. No, he wasn't. Nothing like that creep!

Star paused, trembling with emotion.

"Everyone makes mistakes," she declared shakily. "Even after what you have done, I still care about you Robin, as do the others...I care so much..." Her last sentence was a whisper as she retreated from Robin's gaze.

She was too embarassed to look at him for a few moments, and stared at the dimly lit papers on the walls. Photos, news articles...All about Slade and his crime...She felt disgusted by it, and bobbed her head to look at the floor instead.

Some memories of the mess flooded back to the two of them for a minute or two, until Robin broke the silence.

"Star...?" he murmured sadly. She didn't turn to face him, so he stared at the back of her head. "Could I...? Could I have some time alone...?" Star frowned at the comment, feeling a needle puncture her heart. Why did he always want to be by himself...?

She bobbed her head and answered firmly, "No..."

Robin looked dumbfounded for a moment, and when Starfire turned around, Robin saw her despair.

"No, Robin," she whispered, watering at the eyes. "I will not leave you alone...Not now, not ever..." Her solemn eyes pierced through Robin's mask. He felt something he hadn't felt for a long time- he felt loved.

"You are my best friend, Robin." A tear slid down her cheeck. "And I will not let you hurt yourself. I will no longer let you sit alone in the dark. Not anymore..." She was letting her tears come out, wiping them away briskly.

Robin felt guilt pounding at him viciously as he gazed into her anguished face.

"I...-" He couldn't speak, though he tried.

Starfire hovered to his desk and spoke apologetically.

"Robin...I am sorry..." She sniffled, looking down, away from him. "I...I know you work hard to protect us...But you are...'too hard on yourself'. I...WE can help you, Robin. We are a group...I will do ANYTHING to make things easier...But I do not know what I am doing wrong..." She collapsed onto her knees, sniffling.

Robin got up and placed a hand on her shoulder, kneeling next to his best friend.

"Star...None of this is your fault. It's m-"

"No," she wailed. "It is not you..."

"It's not YOU, then, either," he confidently replied.

Starfire gave him a small, wary smile.

"It is...no one...?"

Robin grinned shyly back.

"It's just the way things are...You haven't done anything wrong. You're always trying to keep us together..."

She blushed a little.

"It is not I, it-"

Robin rubbed her shoulder affectionately, causing her to freeze up with that mysterious warm, fuzzy feeling.

Robin stood up slowly, while Star floated upward without realizing it. (Joyful thoughts trigger her flying, remember?)

Her face as red as her hair, Star landed on her feet. But her joy vanished as quickly as it came as those pictures, articles...visions of Slade met her eyes.

"Robin...?" she pleaded.

"Yea...?"

She sniffed, drying her tears. Staring at the masked crusader, she asked a solemn question.

"Promise me, Robin...Promise me you will no longer come to your 'Slade' room..." Her expression was desperate, her hands clasped over her chest gracefully. "Please..."

Guilt overcame him, and her graceful, beautiful eyes captured him- they were full of sorrow, frustration...and hope.

"I promise..." he said quietly. "But...Can I have an hour? Just one...To...Clean everything up."

Starfire was smiling weakly, sniffling. She nodded slowly, feeling relieved.

"After that...I promise I won't come in my...'Slade' room...anymore."

He felt so foolish saying it like that...but it was what the place had become. Wow...A room, dedicated to crime, evil...and Slade.

Staring into Starfire's graceful, compassionate eyes, Robin smiled weakly. He suddenly realized why she'd asked such a question. Because whenever he came in here, she had to see him dark, serious, and depressed.

He was caught off guard as Star, her eyes glazed, reached out for him. She glided at him gentley, wrapped her arms around him, and embraced him warmly. She squeezed him tight, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Robin..." she whispered. "And do not blame things on yourself anymore...I will take blame if I must...But you do not deserve it..."

Robin, although nervous and uneasy, returned her caring hug.

{You don't deserve pain more than anyone I've ever met...} he muttered in the realms of his mind.

~[<+--\-<*>-/--+>]~

End Transmission

{\+<--/-<*>-\-->+/}

Oh, and Starburn...Yea, I even throw in some Inuyasha in my fiction at some point. Haven't yet, but I have plans.

This fic? Meh. Probably not. But seeing as how all of my stories are a network, who knows? They're all connected, anyway. That's one thing I was trying to get across in this Chapter.

And wow...I just took a glance at it, and...WOW. Raven has CHANGED. It's certainly no mistake of mine to focus on how different she is later on compared to how she used to be...I think you'll like what I've done with her.

[Sproxie]

Finaly u post!
wow great chapter!
PLEASE keep writing!

[Destiny_Smasher]

What do you mean, 'finally'?? I've been posting, like, every other day or so!

*sigh*

But you guys aren't getting another Chapter unless I hear more about the LAST one. :shrug:

[Sproxie]

o! apparently i dont pay attention... :sweat:
any way it was great! please keep writing!

[Destiny_Smasher]

Um...Well, there's a start.

As a reminder, though, I've already WRITTEN all of this. The fic is far from complete but up to Chapter 12-ish is done.

Looking back, I make a lot of dumb writing mistakes here- but it was a YEAR ago, so...

[Crowgirl]

Raven54, you are soooooooo lucky. My friends don't even know I participate in this. Actually, they don't know that I like Teen Titans either...


Destiny_Smasher, your story is good, but I suggest you lengthen the time between posts. It gets you more feedback.

Write more or die!:evil: (Your choice...)

CROWGIRL FOR PRESIDENT!!!

[rrarbecy]

I just read it, and I only have one thing to say... YOU ARE SO DAMN GOOD IT ISN'T EVEN FUNNY! I... I... I... Woah... I wish I had something else to say... :confused: Just... need...more...Sobby... coming out...destroy...everything...MORE BEFORE ITS TOO LATE.

[Destiny_Smasher]

:sad: Hm...

Yea...

Anyway, call me DS or Destiny Smasher. I just threw that _ thingy because my original account was loopy or something...-_-' I could never log in.

As for all this 'cartoons are stupid' garbage, here's a piece of advice- talk about it more freely. If you can't be proud of who you are in front of who you hang out with, I question your friends...

I'm the only true-blue Titans fanatic amidst my friends. But I've turned them all on to the show, and they all (even my one who dislikes cartoon shows) have a likeness toward it now.

---
"Write more or die!:evil:
---

And that is why I don't wait forever to update. People start getting psycho. Even a couple of my good friends have gotten slightly violent...

I quote one of them who doesn't really WATCH TT:

"Saying that reading your fic is an addiction is an understatement."

He's a bit dangerous, we'll say...

But yes, I am intending to space out updates a tad...I kinda would like people to talk a bit more about my fiction and what they liked about it in specific rather than how their school will reject them for liking cartoons...

I'm 17, a senior in high school, and the only TV I watch is cartoons, really. I mean, the only shows I go out of my way to watch are Sonic X and TT, and I haven't even been watching Sonic X lately.

Although we're at Chapter 6 right now, we're definitely not halfway through what I've written. The Chapters have gotten exponentially longer as I have progressed. Chapter 10 and 11 are about ten times as long as Chapter 1 was, I think...At least, they took up ten times as much data on my computer...

I'm considering whether or not to post up 7...Hm...

Well, I guess I will, but you guys had better give me some feedback besides, 'This is good' if you want to see 8 soon. I want to know WHY you think it's good.

Wow. Yea, that Chapter was short...and it sucked compared to my later stuff, if ya ask me. My style has changed quite a bit in the last year...

Things get kinda happy, I think...Bu I do warn you that this fic gets really dark later on. I'm beginning to delve head first into the shadows in Chapter 12...Good stuff...Well, bad stuff, actually- you know what I mean.

Oops...Forgot to post the UPDATE. Here ya go.

<-{--[*<Begin Transmission>*]--}->

The Q4D! Saga...

Winds of Fate: The X Factor

Chapter 7- Breakin' In

"Ugh, you idiot!" Mario moaned with a chuckle. "You just LET him pass you!"

Cyborg grinned, flicking away at his gaming controller.

"Yup! This way, I actually might have a CHALLENGE..." he muttered cockily, sticking out his tongue. Beastboy frowned back. Within the course of three seconds, he'd turned into an anteater, blown a raspberry, and turned back.

Robin walked in, a small and sly grin about him. He greeted them casually.

"Hey, guys. Remember, meet outside in an hour for combat training. We need to break the new guys in," he added with a smirk, glancing at Mario.

Rubbing his fuzzy upper-lip, Mario smiled devilishly back.

"You mean, we'll be breaking YOU out."

"Well, I'd like to see that."

As Robin passed through the halls, he came upon a nervous-looking Sonic.

"Dude, have you seen Tay?"

Robin lifted a brow and muttered back, "...Tay?"

Sonic realized Robin didn't know about Tenochtitlan's nickname.

"Oh. Uh, yea, Tenochtitlan?"

"Nope, sorry, Sonic. Haven't seen her. But when you find her, be sure to tell her we're meeting out front in an hour."

Sonic flashed him a thumbs-up, gave him a 'thanks,' and whizzed onward, coming upon the entertainment room.

"Yo, Fly-Boy," Cyborg greeted with a chuckle.

"Yo," Sonic answered, glancing at his game for a moment. It seemed to be a sci-fi racing game, of course.

"Whatcha playin'?"

"F-Zero GX, man," Beastboy said with a grin. "It's the bomb. You should try it."

After another glance, Sonic tossed his arms.

"Nah...It's too slow for me," he said with a devilish grin.

"So, uh, you guys know where Tay is...?"

Beastboy, as if by instinct, spat out a reply.

"She's up on the roof, but...I don't know why. She looked kinda upset, but I think she wanted to be alone, sooo-"

"Allright, thanks," Sonic answered, ignoring the doubt in his tone. "Mario," he added, just before he zoomed off.

"What's-a matta fa you?" he inmpersonated casually.

"Uh, Tikal wants to talk to you, OK? She's hanging out near your bedroom, I think..."

Mario shrugged, tipped his hat, and scratched his nose.

"Right, then..." he mumbled, flipping over the couch and pulling off some backflips before walking off down the hall.

The door to the rooftop was blasted open by Sonic as he plowed through. Fortunately, it was already open a crack, so it swung wildly from the rough winds flooding past it.

"Yo! Tay, we're...-" He trailed as he saw her sitting, hunched up. Her braids of black hair dangled over her shoulders, adding to the sad aura that surrounded her.

"Um...Tay, are you all right?" he questioned cautiously, hoping not to trip on an emotional switch.

She glanced up at him with dark blue eyes.

"I'm OK," she mumbled. "Don't worry about it."

Sonic paused for a moment, then let her in on the meeting.

"I'll...be there...Just give me a sec..."

"All right..." After a moment of uncertainty, Sonic made the choice to leave her alone and headed to his destination.

A few minutes passed, though Tenoch didn't notice. That is, until the door opened again.

"Tay...? Youuuu OK? What's up...?" Beastboy inquired shyly.

She turned her head to meet his quickly, her eyes a shade of dark blue.

"I'm...-" She fumbled a bit, then decided to be honest.

"No...I'm not all right." She bobbed her head back down as Beastboy walked to her side.

"Dude, it's OK," he assured her calmly. "You can tell me what's going on...I can keep a secret..."

Tenoch glanced up at him hesitantly. Staring into his innocent green eyes, she felt comfortable enough to explain. With a sigh, she began.

"Well, see..." She searched for words as her green friend sat down on the cement beside her. "I just...I don't feel right here...Ya know? Like I don't belong..."

Beastboy frowned sadly, trying to come up with a remark to lighten the mood.

"Yea, I understand. Afterall, we ARE a bunch of freaks."

He'd managed a small smile from her, at least for a moment. And that was all worth it.

"No, I mean...I don't know. I just feel...like I'm not...me..." Her voice was drowned in confusion and despair.

"Aw, Tay, don't say that!" Beastboy said, elbowing her. "That's just stupid. Of course you're you!"

Tenoch smiled a little again, but it was short lived as well.

"I know...I didn't mean it like that...I meant, like, I'm not supposed to be here. I can't explain it."

Pausing to reflect, Beastboy fumbled with the thought...She thought she wasn't supposed to be here...? What kind of idea was THAT?

"Well, um...You're right," he answered calmly. "You AREN'T supposed to be here...You're supposed to be with the OTHER guys..."

Her eyes popped open- she had totally forgot, and it had only been a couple minutes! Orange-eyed, she lept to her feet and hastily scooped up her staff from the ground.

"Geez, you're right! Sorry, I've gotta go..."

Beastboy sighed and waved farewell. Just before anything could click, she had to leave. Figured.

"No prob."

But just before she left, he burst out, his insides urging him to do so.

"TAY!"

She slid a bit, skidding to a stop. Pushing her hair from her face slowly, she glanced back at him.

"Hey, uh...Later on, ya wanna...hang out...?" he questioned shyly, his cheecks a little pink. "I mean, whatever. We could eat, we could watch a flick, or...anything you want." His tone was slightly shaky.

"I..." Her eyes had shifted to purple. "...W-Well, sure, why not...? I mean, I don't have anything better to do..." He couldn't tell, but small pink spots had formed on her face, too.

After a moment of awkward silence, she turned and sped off down the stairs.

Beastboy was left with a silly grin.

{Purple, huh?...Lemme see...I think that means she's nervous. Hehe...Ya still got it, Beastboy...}

The green Titan had already been getting aquainted with Tenochtitlan's eye colors, and what each one meant. He could only guess on some, while others were obivous. Pink was DEFINITELY happy and 'laughable,' while dark blue was surely depressed. He hoped he would keep those beautiful eyes pink that night.

-=+&lt;:*:>+=-

Robin's foot tapped the ground slowly. A breeze swept over the river, cascading past the Titans playfully.

"Where did you say they were?" Robin asked patiently.

"They were talking about...uh..." Beastboy fumbled. "Well, I think it was about a dream somebody had last night or somethin'..."

"Well, wherever they were, they're here now!" Cyborg announced, waving to them. They were exiting the tower hastily, making their way down the hill to the rest of the group.

Sonic whizzed along, performing all types of flips and such as he did so, simply for show. Tikal glided through the air behind him, just as Raven and Starfire were capable of doing.

Link just dashed behind them, swiping his sword through the air eagerly.

Tenochtitlan nimbly bounded about with grace, almost like a beautiful Tarzan of sorts. (Weird description, I know.) After performing a somersault, a cartwheel, and backflip, she landed on her feet beside Link- though she almost fell shortly thereafter.

Mario was still waiting at the tower's door, a good fifty feet or so away.

He waved at the group slyly, and took a few steps back. After charging forward for a couple of seconds, he pounced into the air at a breakneck speed. Higher and higher he soared, until they couldn't see him.

"Holy crap," Beastboy muttered. "Talk about thunder thighs..."

As he flew through the air gracefully, Mario took a moment to suck in a breath of fresh air. Having admired the sun, which was almost at zenith, he scratched his head. Then, he began to plummet. As his speed increased, he flipped himself upside down, his face facing his friends below. For a few more seconds, he flew like a missle. Just before impact, he somersaulted, rotating back to an upward position. As he smacked the ground harshly, a loud 'thud' could be heard, and the ground shook. He was perfectly fine, of course. His landing position, with one knee to the ground, as well as one hand, would later be described by Beastboy as 'undeniably awesome.'

He stood up slowly, straightened his hat, and spoke to the shocked crew.

"Air's nice up there..."

"I can imagine," Robin mumbled.

"Oh, he is correct!" Starfire put in. "Very nice. It is as refreshing as a cold glass of kermbob!"

After an awkward moment of silence, the masked crusader carried on with business.

"What was the problem...?" Robin asked curiously, his hands folded over his chest.

"Oh, well..." Mario shrugged. "Nothin' big. We just..." He let the subject go, tossing his arms. "Don't worry about it...We just had a little problem, we took care of it."

They all looked nervous and embarrassed about it, whatever it was.

{Something is DEFINITELY up,} Robin concluded to himself.

"Whatever you say," he murmured, changing pace. "Anyway, I set up a combat scenario for you guys yesterday..."

"So THAT'S what you were up to," Link noted with a smirk. "Bring it on, then..."

"Awww, man, you guys are gonna LOVE it," Cyborg added with amticipation.

The original five Titans arranged themselves on the 'sidelines' of what would quickly become a battle scene. The clearing was of a decent size, with a few shrubs and bushes here and there. Robin stood at his control panel, eagerly awaiting to see these five in action.

"Countdown initiated!" he announced. "Good luck guys..."

Mario tipped his hat, smiling that smug smile of his.

"Thanks, Blue-Footed Booby!" he called. Robin shook his head and let out a grin.

Beastboy felt uneasy as he saw Tenochtitlan's upset expression. What was bugging her so much...? Maybe he could do something about it...

Before he knew it, her graceful body had flown into action to avoid a stream of bullets being fired at her by the cannons that had been set up.

As she landed, more soared at her, and she twirled her staff around at an insanely high speed, deflecting them all away.

One was flattened to a pulp as Mario came slamming down into it, while Link had swung his blade clear througyh another. Sonic had taken out a couple by rushing past them and delivering some swift kicks. Tikal destroyed the last one by holding out her hands- the bullets were reflected right back, causing the machine to explode.

By the time the cannons had stopped, another threat had emerged. The bushes and shrubs had all shown their true forms. They were insect-like combat machines with round bodies and long, skinny legs. Their eyes fired red lasers at their foes.

Mario easily lept into the thick of their midst, and tried to grab their attention. As they all took aim at him, the others prepared their attacks.

Link attemtped to hack at one, only to find that his sword was repelled by their thick armor.

"What?! But this is the Master-"

"No, it's not, you idiot!" Sonic grumbled. "That was the whole point!"

"What're they talking about...?" Raven mumbled, confused. Starfire, who was gliding beside her, could only shrug, just as puzzled as she.

Sonic slammed his fists at high velocity, but his efforts were lost as well. He easily escaped being fried, but Link had more difficulty. Just before a beam singed him, it was stopped. Tikal had neutralized the blast with a forcefield of orange energy.

Mario, in the meantime, was performing amazing maneuvers in order to dodge the blasts of these robots. His hands began to ignite, and in the middle of the air, he launched balls of flames at his opposition.

Much to his disappointment, the flaming orbs barely scratched the surface of the metal spiders.

As he landed firmly, he grumbled, "Damnit. What did that metalhead make these pieces of crap out of...?"

"Beats the hell outta me," Link replied.

But they'd forgotten about Tenochtitlan, who was a short distance away. He eyes were closed, and her hands were folded on her chest. Her staff was floating in front of her, rapidly rotating in circles. She was muttering words that were unrecognizable.

"Alakaht eeshna noo toru teela, ahsh kot misa noom..."

"What's she DOING...?" Beastboy questioned, baffled.

"She's chanting," Raven muttered, intrigued.

"Aztec Sun, hear my call," she whispered, grabbing her staff. It was halted quite suddenly, and she pointed it at her foes. As she opened her eyes, they glowed a fierce red. The circlet and staff-tip complemented that red. Within seconds of her burning stare, the spiders were melting into sloppy puddles of metal.

"Wow," Robin said to himself. "That's something you don't see every day...What's her power?" he turned to Cyborg. The mechanized human shrugged.

"Got me, Robin. Nobody's filled me in."

"Whatever power she possesses," Starfire concluded, "It will no doubt aid us..."

"No kidding," Beastboy moaned, surprised.

Cyborg suddenly lit up, and hopped with sheer excitement.

"Give 'em the surprise!" he demanded.

"No problem," Robin responded, pressng a few keys.

Rising from the waters of the river their island rested upon was a robot. A robot in the shape of a man. He was tall, strong, and was moving at a very stealthy pace. He looked almost just like Slade.

Starfire gasped in horror, retreating to Robin's side.

"It is SLADE!!" she cried out. "Quickly, we must-"

"Star, chill!" Cyborg rold her as he grabbed her and firmly set her on the ground. "It's just somethin' me and Robin have been working on..."

Seeing Star's perplexed state, Robin explained.

"We took one of the 'Slade' robots I disarmed and modified it. We kept the same combat programming in it that Slade originally created, but we toned it down so it wasn't set to kill."

The face wasn't exactly normal, but resembled it.

It immediately went to trip Link with a round-house kick, and it succeeded. Sonic was immediately on it, tossing whirling blades of wind from his hands like shurikens. The Slade bot took the blows with ease and went to nail Sonic in the head, only to miss, due to the teen's agility. The blue-headed wonder smacked him with a flurry of fists, but they all bounced off. With a ferocious punch, Sonic was sent spiraling away.

"Sonic!" Tikal cried, soaring to his side. But the Slade imposter dashed for her from behind.

Mario lept in to intercept, stunning him with some flaming balls. And then the machine drew an extendable staff from his back (just like the one Robin has) and twirled it expertly, deflecting fireballs. Swing a fierce vertical blow, the Slade fake was taken by surprise as a beam of pure, white light smashed intpo his back. He twitched a bit, getting over the shock the attack had caused by the time he'd turned, Tenochtitlan was pelting him with her staff, though the hits weren't doing much. He swiped at her, but she nimbly dodged all his attacks with ease. A horizontal, a few vertical spins, a diagnol strike...No matter what it dished out, she avoided it and countered.

"Wow..." Beastboy murmured in awe. "She's got you runnin' for your money, Robin..."

"So it seems," Robin muttered back, impressed.

Just after a swift hit to the head from Tay, the bot was shaken by Link and Mario, who rammed it from the back.

In a fit of artificial rage, it spun its staff all around wildly, knocking them away like pins. Mario and Tenochtitlan landed on their feet with ease, while Link was slammed on his back. Sonic was back in action and had zipped around the Slade wannabe to Mario's side.

"Wanna give him a Sonic Boom?" Mario asked slyly, cracking his knuckles.

Sonic smiled devilishly and replied, "I've got the 'Sonic' if you'v got the 'Boom.'"

"Damn right! Let's do this," the leader of the group said as he pounced high into the air, his hands above his head as he charged up energy.

Sonic balled up his fists, and spiny, blue orbs of power formed there. He made a dash for his opponent, just as Mario's huge ball of flame came crashing down. He swiftly somersaulted over the opposition, and landed facing them. He whipped his energy into the air, and it collided with the orb of fire. The ball exploded as it hit 'Slade', and Sonic's wind energy cut clean through him.

What was left was two halves of what used to be a weapon.

"...Damn," was all Cyborg could manage as the dust cleared.

"Yea, they're not bad," Robin added honestly.

"That it? That's all you got?" Sonic gloated, chuckling.

"Hey, we put that together in one day!" Cyborg protested.

"And anyway, where did you guys learn to fight like that?"

They all paused to reflect on that question.

"...Experience...?" Mario hypothesized. The others nodded, clueless to the answer.

"Well..." Robin began. "All I can say is that you guys have some real potential there...Now all we have to do is learn to work our two teams as one, and we'll have everything in the bag..."

"Indeed," Starfire put in. "I believe that together we could..." She paused, trying to find the right phrase. "...We could...'open a can'...Correct...?" She didn't quite get where the term originated from, but she was fairly sure that phrase fit.

Robin chuckled, shaking his head. "Yea, that about says it," he said heartily.

Beastboy was already at Tay's side, congratulating her eagerly.

"MAN! Where did you learn that stuff?! That was awesome!"

Tenochtitlan smiled shyly. "Well, it just...comes naturally."

Raven was even impressed, for she could sense the potential the girl had after seeing her in action.

{Go ahead, you need to get to know them better. After all, you're going to be living with them from now on...}

"So, uhh..." she began, uneasy. "How about you and I meditate sometime...? You could tell me how your powers work, maybe we could teach eachother something, or..."

{Just let it go, you sound like an idiot...}

Tenochtitlan's eyes were orange, and she nodded quickly.

"Oh, sure! That sounds great!" she answered.

"What did I tell ya?" Link said to Cyborg, wiping oil from his blade.

Cyborg cocked his head and admitted, "Yea, you guys know what you're doin'..."

Link glanced around the group, smiling.

"Yea, it's weird. I know I've done stuff like this before, but...I couldn't tell ya what it was I did..." He noticed Raven was staring at him, and once his eyes caught hers, the large, purple eyes flew away, and she retreated from his gaze, hiding within her cloak.

As Beastboy and Tenochtitlan began to walk by, Link asked a question.

"Sooo...Why does she always wear that thing? I mean, she has the whole goth thing goin'...Does she have HAIR, even?"

Beastboy chuckled and answered, "Oh, Rave's like that, man...Nobody gets her, really. 'Sides, she's as pale as a ghost, and just as creepy too..." He gave Link a comical grin and strolled off.

"You were GREAT out there," Tikal said sweetly, nestling her head on Sonic's shoulder.

"Thanks. You weren't too bad, either."

She shook her head, not in agreement.

"I didn't really help much..." she mumbled. "I just...I don't like violence...I mean, even IF they're just robots. I just don't like it..."

"I know," he said with a sigh. "But Tikal, not everything can be solved the clean way."

She nodded sadly. "I certainly know that."

And all of a sudden, a beeping sounded interrupted everyone's coversations.

Robin flicked out his Titan Com. After inspecting it for a couple of seconds, he announced the situation.

"We got a bank robbery in progess, guys. Come on."

"Yea, our first crime as a ten-some," Beastboy said with a grin.

As they raced off to their cruiser, the green hero asked, "So...What's up with robbing banks, anyway? I mean, they ALWAYS get caught..."

"You'd be amazed at how moronic people can be..." Raven replied calmly.

{Yea, just like YOU...} one of those voices in her head grumbled. {You're so messed up that you can't talk with people without feeling stupid. Social anxiety freak...}

[^)#$-=+/\+=-$#(^]

Having battered some foolish robbers with cloaking capabilities into the ground, the Titans had returned home. After some more training as a group, as well as the usual hanging out, the day was done with.

Raven retreated to her room as the usual 'get together' time the Titans had commenced. Things were so chaotic that no one seemed to notice.

Not too much crime lately...But she wasn't complaining.

Her room was so lonely, so cold...Why did it seem so cold? She came here every night, but...All of a sudden, she felt so lonely. She got an idea. Meditation. That was the ticket. She could dive into her mind and not worry about the darkness of her room...Or maybe...She had a better idea.

She walked over to her dresser calmly, trying to keep all her jambled feelings barred up inside herself. A struggle that took place every single day...She slid open an old wooden drawer and scooped up a very mysterious mirror. This mirror was quite interesting in the fact that it was a portal to her MIND. Now whenever she looked at it, she was reminded of the time Beastboy and Cyborg were accidently sucked into it...What a mess that was...

{That mirror is a portal into my MIND...NOT A PLAY THING!!}

She held it up to her face and stared at her reflection for a few moments...She slipped off her hood so she could see her whole face...And, for the first time in a LONG time, she wondered if she looked...'nice'. What would a guy like Link think...? Would he find her...'cute?' She hadn't dared to remove her hood while he was around. What if he thought she was ugly...?

{Sooo...Why does she always wear that thing? I mean, she has the whole goth thing goin'...Does she have HAIR, even?}

{Oh, Rave's like that, man...'Sides, she's as pale as a ghost, and just as creepy too...}

She knew Beastboy was just kidding around, but still...It hurt a little bit. He didn't have to say that to Link.

Staring at herself sadly, she felt that he was right. Her skin was practically white, she must look like a freak who hated sunlight and who wasn't interested in a social life...

{Why would he like me at all, anyway...?} she asked herself dispondently. {He probably thinks I'm not very attractive at all...I can't even TALK when I'm around him...No doubt he thinks I'm an idiot, too...}

As she sighed in despair, she realized she was in her mind now. She was standing on a chunk of gray rock, hovering in the middle of nowhere. A dead tree was hunched over on one corner of this rock, and many other rocks like it drifted far off. And various parts of her persona were standing around her, if it weren't odd enough. But this was her mind at a strange, physical- like level.

"That's right," one growled. "He thinks you're a moron. Don't even THINK about anything between you and him..." It was in a red cloak. "He's a jerk, anyway. He doesn't give a damn about you...

"You don't have a chance..." another moaned sadly, this one in a shade of purple.

"What are you DOING, anyway? You're getting all worked up about some silly boy who you don't even know! Geez, you're letting all this crap get to you! Stop it, it's not like you!" a brown-garbed Raven scolded.

"I-I know," she stammared. "I can't help it..." She sounded genuinely upset, unlike she did in the physical realm. "I don't know what to do...Whenever I feel anywhere close to this, I just...ignore it, and it goes away...But I can't get this feeling to go away forever. I don't know what to do..."

"OO!!" cried a pink Raven merrily. "Like, why don't you go ASK HIM OUT?! That would SO totally ROCK if he said yes!" She jumped over and pleaded to herself, hopping merrily.

The 'normal' Raven shook her head quickly.

"Are you crazy...?"

Another version of herself, the purple one, replied.

"No...You can't...He'll say 'no'...What if he says 'no'? You can't take that...You can't ask him."

"Oh, stop being a wuss!" a green shade snapped. "It's no big deal! So what if he says no? It's not like he'll be a jerk about it! Just go and do it, don't look back."

The real Raven nodded slowly, still doubtful.

"Right!" the pink one chimed. "It would be TOTALLY cool!"

After a few other portions of her personality agreed, Raven felt a little more confident.

"A-All right...I'll ask him...Sometime..." She trembled a bit, nervous. She didn't want her friends to see her like this...If she asked, and he turned her down...Gah. She had to risk it.

"I can't let this bother me anymore," she decided, staring at the other versions of herself. Many nodded, while a few rolled their eyes or shook their heads.

Having come to a decision about the matter, Raven exited the strange world of her mind, finding herself back in her room, on her bed. She placed the mirror on her nightstand and got up, contemplated about when and where to ask. What were they all doing right now...? Watching a movie, no doubt...She couldn't watch a movie right now. What if she BLEW UP something. by accident..? That would be real smooth...

Raven was a very sensitive and VERY emotional person deep inside. But she had to control those emotions, or else her powers would wreck the physical world around her.

She decided to go and watch whatever freakish horror flick Beastboy had set up, and consider MAYBE talking with Link later on. Tomorrow...Yes, tomorrow would be much better. She'd have a whole day to figure out what to say.

Raven's self-esteem was VERY lacking, especially lately. She never really reached out for support from her friends, and often didn't give any either, so it was no wonder. This was a habit she would have to break very soon, or else she'd be getting very miserable very fast.

{If it weren't for my friends,} she pondered as she walked down the hall, {where would I be...?} She sighed. {I don't know...I can't even imagine. I need to...thank them...somehow...}

She let out a small grin as she reflected on this. Ever since Link had shown up, he'd helped her realize things about herself she still didn't quite understand. She was thankful he and his friends had shown up. Where would the roller coaster of her mind take her next...?

~[<+--\-<*>-/--+>]~

End Transmission

{\+<--/-<*>-\-->+/}

[rrarbecy]

Um...that was...AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You really have a good grip on all of the characters. You think of Raven like I do. Low self esteem, doubting herself, a very complex character.

Oh, and by the way, Sobby is what I turn into when I get sad. It's like the Incredible Hulk. I can't remember which thread I first mentioned him in. :sweat:

[starburn1116]

that was great!!
you said that you want some specifics
i loved the training scene
i also loved the part in Raven's mind
and please don't be angry if we go on a group discussion
our minds wander:sweat:

[Sproxie]

Man that was so great i dont know what to say....
fav. parts- fighting scenes, beast boy and tay, ravens mind, just about everything... please post soon!

i never thought raven would be the type to worry about her looks.....

[raven54]

WOW!!!!!!!! this is really excellent- I also always thought that Raven was insecure but hid behind her tough, moody, emotionless image. The fight scenes were also very well done- they were described so well that you could see them in your mind's eye. FANTABULOUS (fantastic+fabulous).

POST MORE SOON!!!!!!!

[Destiny_Smasher]

Well, well...We DID get some feedback that time, huh?

I'm not going to post more quite yet. If demand is high enough, I will Saturday morning.

I would love to hear some guesses as to what's going on. How's the mystery gripping you at this point? Any specific parts that seemed suspicious? I don't mean bluntly suspicious, though.

Chapter 8- Happy Blorthog!!

The plot thickens some more, like tomato soup. Starfire is excited about Blorthog, a holiday celebrated on her home, but a familiar foe rears his ugly head. Familiar, that is, depending on your definiton. He comes from the future, and he knows all about the Titans from what he's read on their history- or does he?

"OOO! Who's got your belt?! I got your belt!!"

Oh, and, uh...Link steals Beastboy's belt.

Coming soon...:harley:

[oneeyemonkeypie]

hmm, drawing heavily from "how long is forever" i see.

For some reason I didn't like that episode so much. It was depressing to see the possible future. anyways, I thought this fic would be a trainwreck at first (sorry, but I thought the other characters would be wussy, like mario is in the games) but you made a believer. I check for updates every day. It's really awesome.
And I got a situation just like yours, too. I'm a senior and for some reason, all I want to watch is cartoons. I just dont like anything else. unfortunately, the number of people who watch cartoons in my school is 2 counting me. so It doesn't come up much. oh well...
keep postin'!
(and go see my fic in my sig, i think you'll like it. start from the beginning.)

[Destiny_Smasher]

Um...A trainwreck...Ah...Well, that's splendid. :sad:

Mario, a wuss? Well, no, he doesn't have the flashy karate moves of Robin, but believe me, hes got his own talents. If anything, video games worldwide owe their respect to him. Mario put console gaming on the map. Mario began to show how we can dive in other worlds to explore and vanquish evil, not just shoot stuff and get high scores.

Anyway, I will certainly agree that he isn't a 'kick-ass' character most of the time, but have you played Super Smash Bros. Melee? That game defined, for me, what Mario should be. I LOVE that game...It ties with Paper Mario 1 as my favorite game of all. (Though Paper Mario 2 may well push its predecessor down a notch).

In my fanfiction, I strive to show the characters the way I think they should be. Although Mario's Italian accent has, in fact, rubbed off on me, I picture him without it.

Sonic and Tikal dating is certainly not something the games illustrate, either.

Anyway...*blinkblink* I'm looking forward to Paper Mario 2. And after I'm done with it, I can figure out how to weave it into my fiction, using the characters in it while sort of twisting things around so everything doesn't seem AS kiddy-ish.

Um...'Seriously drawing' from that episode, eh? Not really. Actually, I don't do this out of lack of ideas, I do this because ideas started WHIRLING. The episode does NOT play out like my Chapter. Matter of fact, only ONE SCENE is similar to that episode.

<-{--[*<Begin Transmission>*]--}->
Winds of Fate: The X Factor

Chapter 8- Happy Blorthog

The beams of morning pierced her eyelids, beckoning her emerald eyes to face the world.

They sprung open in an instant as she tossed her blanket off eagerly.

She paused a moment, trying to remember.

{There was something of dire importance today...But what was it?}

It smacked her in the face like Robin and Slade smacked each other.

"Blorthog!!" she squealed with glee, tossing her arms. Her excited eyes darted around her adorable room. She had done a bit of Blorthog preparation over the past few days, finding gifts for everyone. She was looking forward to a day of celebration and friendly togetherness.

{I have been eagerly anticipating this occasion for a long period of time...What shall we do first? Where shall we begin?}

/_-_\=+^+=/_-_\

"Aw, MAN, It was fun. We stayed up pretty late, too..." Beastboy told his colleagues.

"...What did you DO?" Cyborg probed. "Were you naughty...?" he added devilishly.

Beastboy shoved him over as they paced through the halls, his cheeks flushed.

"'Course not! We just...Hung out, ya know...?"

"Oh, I KNOW," Cyborg chuckled.

Beastboy huffed and replied, "I'm serious, Dude. Nothing happened."

The morning's atmosphere was bright and cheery, though Titan Tower was a relatively dim place.

Complimenting the warm feeling that morning was Tenochtitlan, with her bright smile and enthusiastic eyes. She bounded through the halls merrily, grinning a marvelous grin.

She slipped through the hallways in a clumsy yet merry manner, when she happened to come upon exactly who she was looking for.

As she met up with Cyborg, Robin, and Beastboy, she grinned playfully and waved sweetly.

"Good morning, guys!" she cried in a cute voice. "Sleep well?"

Robin was amused at her cheerful demeanor. Just yesterday she seemed so down and depressed. What had made her so happy all of a sudden?

"You bet," Cyborg replied.

"Like a baby," Beastboy added. As the two of them locked eyes, there was an awkward moment of silence, and they both blushed. Tenochtitlan, after a moment's hesitation, spread her arms out like a great bird and wrapped Beastboy in their warm, soft touch. She embraced him gently, and he was taken by surprise by her sudden display of affection. His cheeks were flushed, and he felt his legs get weak as he placed his arms around her in return.

Her head on his shoulder, Tenochtitlan murmured, "Thank you for yesterday...I'm really looking forward to tonight," she added in an even sweeter voice. As her eyes met Robin and Cyborg's awe-struck expressions, her face flushed red, and her pink eyes turned orange. She let the green teen go quickly, brushing bangs from her eyes hurriedly.

After another shy smile, she scampered off down the halls of Titan Tower as suddenly as she arrived. Beastboy was left dazed and giddy.

"...So, uh...What KIND of nothin' happened last night?" Cyborg inquired, intrigued.

Recovering from his shock, Beastboy shrugged, smiling dreamily.

"Nothing like THAT..." he muttered.

Robin crossed his arms.

"Oh, you're saving that stuff for tonight, I see...?" he questioned slyly.

Beastboy laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, wasn't PLANNING on it, but..." After a second, he cleared his throat and explained.

"Well, after the movie last night, I took her up to my room, and we worked on hers a bit, and...Well...We got down to talking, ya know..." He was beginning to trail off, both physically and verbally.

Cyborg stepped up ahead of him, smiling.

"Aw, no. You're gonna tell us..."

"OK, OK..." he mumbled, blushing.

"Well, see...I asked her out on a date," he answered simply.

Cyborg's human eye widened, and his red light eye blinked, as if his computers had miscalculated. Robin, behind the two of them, had an impressed smile.

"...Say WHAT...?" Cyborg managed.

"Ya KNOW," Beastboy eased, tossing his arms. "A date...I'm gonna make her dinner, and then we're gonna go out for a stroll on the town, know what I mean?" He raised his brows up and down devilishly. "Then it's all up to the Beastman. Just gotta swoon her with some of my natural charm..."

"Oh, yea," Robin chuckled. "Tofu really sets up the romantic scene..."

Beastboy shook his head and waved his index finger triumphantly.

"That's the thing- she likes my cooking."

Cyborg's jaw dropped to add to his previous expression.

"...Say WHAT?!"

"Exactly!" Beastboy squealed with delight. "Aw, man...It's gonna be great..."

Robin wasn't so sure about it, though...Who knew what a romantic problem could lead to...?

"Well, congratulations, Beastboy," he said. "Now...Can we go get some breakfast already?"

"...Oh! Yea..."

"...She likes tofu...?" Cyborg muttered in amazement. "But I will admit, she's real pretty, B. You're lucky."

Beastboy nodded wildly. "Don't need to tell me, man...Can you say 'curvelicious?' She's as hot as a geyser..." As Beastboy drooled a bit, Robin sighed and patted him on the shoulder.

"Interesting phrasing there," he admitted. "But seriously, I'm hungry. You guys babble on if ya want..."

As the young man vanished down the halls, Beastboy regained his senses.

"She really is a great person, too, don't get me wrong," he quickly defended himself, as if Cyborg was judging him- though he wasn't, of course.

"You lucky dog, man..." he muttered, shaking his head.

"Every dog has his day," Beastboy added cheerfully. "Today is mine."

"I guess...Good luck, B. You're gonna need it, yo..."

"Yea, thanks...Hey!"

=_.>]{*}[&lt;._=

{Glorious...All is ready...}

Starfire quickly scooped up a group of strange necklaces. These necklaces were made of odd metal balls that jangled like wind chimes. She removed them from her dresser drawer, which was packed full of wrapped gifts for such an occasion.

Wearing them on her neck, arms, and hands, Starfire sped off down the hallways like a chiming torpedo. On her way, a dark figure came into view, and she ran right into them. Two female cries of surprise echoed through the hall as Starfire and Tenochtitlan tumbled to the ground and rolled a bit. Tenoch's head smacked against the wall from the force, and she lay dazed for a moment, moaning.

As Starfire regained her bearings, she got up to her knees, rubbing her head. Every movement was accompanied by a cheery jangling, though. She gasped in shock, realizing what had just happened. She reached her hands out to Tay's arms, helping her friend get up.

"Owww..." she whimpered, her hand still stuck to her head. "What was that for...?"

Starfire spoke quickly and apologetically.

"I am truly sorry, dear friend. Please forgive my foolishness. I was merely- "

"It's OK, I'm all right," Tay assured, checking to see that she hadn't lost any body parts from the fall. Her eyes had flashed from purple to orange as she stumbled to her feet, grasping her staff.

"You are not angry...?" Starfire probed, her hands clasped.

"Oh, no, of course not!" she replied warmly, yellow-eyed. "But why were you in such a hurry...?"

Starfire smiled nervously as she hurried to collect her necklaces.

Tenochtitlan was immediately caught by their beautiful sounds.

"You see, I am very excited, for today is a great holiday."

Tenochtitlan was puzzled, so she asked what kind of holiday it was.

Starfire giggled sweetly and draped a jingling necklace around Tay's head.

"Happy Blorthog!!"

Her eyes brown, her expression confused, Tay couldn't think of a response.

Starfire grabbed her by the hand and began to pull her through the halls, heading for the main living room.

"WHOA! W-W-WAIT, Star!!" she yelped. She was forced to adapt to the speed quickly, and as she jogged, she asked, "What're we doing?"

Smiling brightly, Starfire answered, "Why, we are going to begin the festivities, of course!"

Utterly lost, Tay decided to wait and find out what on Stellon the Tamaranian was babbling about.

As they neared the living room, they slowed down, as Starfire realized she might accidentally slam into someone else.

She noticed the orange coloring of Tenochtitlan's circlet and eyes, and questioned her.

"Um...So, shall you join me in celebrating such a grand occasion?"

Tay nodded slowly, but Starfire felt there was something else on her mind.

"What ails you? Blorthog is no day to be upset. Please, do tell. Perhaps I may be able to assist...?"

Tenichtitlan blushed slightly and shrugged, going to a pink color now.

"Well, see...I sorta already have plans for today, but..."

Starfire frowned slightly. She was hoping to get the whole group to come together for the day.

"What are these plans? You will have time to frolic with us and sing joyous songs of bonding, yes?"

Tay giggled. "Joyous songs of bonding, huh? That sounds like an offer I can't refuse. Sure, of course I can celebrate...uh...Bargglehop with you."

Starfire smiled, shaking her head. "Blorthog. It is the Tamaranian Festival of Friendship on my home planet."

"...Really? Like, a day to celebrate...your friends...?"

Starfire grinned a big smile. "Yes! It is quite glorious!" She paused, realizing why Tay had seemed so confused.

"You...You do not have such a holiday on this planet...?"

Tenochtitlan felt a pang of hurt once again. This planet? What did she know about this planet? She wasn't FROM this planet...

"Well, no, where I come from there isn't really such a day...But-" She leaned over on her friend's shoulder, smiling. "There's certainly nothing wrong with us having it today!"

Starfire wrapped her arms around Tay and crushed her with a strength not demonstrated by her arms appearance.

"Truly glorious!"

As she let the dark-skinned teen breathe, she probed a bit more.

"What are your other plans, though...? May I join you?"

Tenoch laughed. "Well, you could, but...It'd probably be best if you didn't."

Starfire felt hurt by this comment, and when Tay realized it, she quickly explained.

"I didn't mean it like that, Star. It's just...I'm going out on a date tonight..."

The emerald eyes of Starfire glimmered like the sun.

"Delightful! Truly! Please, I must know everything! You will tell me the details afterward, I hope?"

Tenochtitlan turned pink yet again- both in the eyes and the cheeks.

"Sure..." she murmured.

"Would I happen to know the fortunate male you shall be spending your evening with?" she asked slyly.

"Hehe...Well, I HOPE so..."

There was an awkward moment of silence as Star stared at Tay expectantly.

"..."

"See, Beastboy asked me out..."

Starfire was struck with surprise- but not the bad kind.

"Truly?!" she demanded, excited.

Tay nodded shyly, her soft bangs flopping around.

"I am enthralled, dear friend! I congratulate you. Beastboy is...unique, no doubt. I believe you will make an adorable couple."

"Thanks...Today's looking up, isn't it?"

"It certainly is! Now all we must do is break our night's fast without an argument...I must prepare. I shall see you shortly."

"All right, Star. See ya..."

#-+:{{+}}:+-#

"Got any Kings?"

"Go fish..."

"Damnit..."

"Yo, Sonic!"

"What up?"

"Gimme a seven, baby."

"Gah..."

"Booyah..."

"Cy, you got a three?"

"Naw, man. Go fish..."

"Mario. Do YOU have a three?"

"..."

Mario slapped his card on the table, passing it to Link. The blonde scooped it up and added it to his hand, then placed two threes on the table before him.

They were in a very laid-back looking room, very different to the normal design that much of the Tower had. It was a warm, semi-dim room, with black walls and some lights dangling from the ceiling. It was a sort of recreation room, complete with a billiards table, air hockey, ping-pong, and dartboard. The card table, fit for five, rested near the entrance, while the billiard table centered the room.

Sonic eyed Beastboy suspiciously, who was on the other side of the room, showing Tikal how to play pool.

"So, Link, got an ace for me?"

"Go fish-"

Robin whipped into the room swiftly as he realized that this was where mostly everybody was.

"There you guys are," he said casually. "Breakfast's up."

Beastboy glanced up with concern.

"Got ya covered," Robin assured him. "I made plenty of scrambled eggs, and Raven dished up some pancakes."

"Aw, yea!" Cyborg cried, leaping up out of his seat and dropping his cards.

Playing cards were slapped to the table as the gang of hungry teenage boys prepared to digest the first meal of the day.

Tikal knocked the cue ball smoothly, and it sailed across the green surface, elegantly tipping the yellow 9 ball into a side pocket. She hopped with excitement.

"I got it in! Beastboy, I-"

She suddenly noticed that she was the only one in the room. After a moment of tranquility (which she decided to enjoy while she could) she gave in to her own hunger.

(+)-*-*-(+)

"Dude, where's Star?"

Robin shrugged. "Got me...I haven't seen her at all yet...But she'll come when she's hungry."

Beastboy nodded in agreement and dug into his pancakes with full force, using his hands in place of utensils. Tenoch, who was sitting beside him of course, held back giggles with her palm.

"Well, she better get her ass here FAST, 'cause I ain't leavin' any food behind!" Cyborg declared, chomping into some eggs.

"Awww, very nice," he murmured, food muffling his voice. He gave Robin a thumbs-up, who simply tossed his hand.

"Wow, Ray, these things are pretty good," Mario complimented, scratching his nose.

She sat next to him, a shy look about her.

"Uh, thanks..." she answered with her raspy tone. Naturally, she was seated beside Link, though not necessarily by choice.

"Could you pass the salt?" Link muttered to her.

She froze for a moment. Her fork, which she still hadn't touched, began to jangle a bit on the table. Her plate slid slightly. Her eggs did an short little dance of sorts while shrouded in a black veil. And finally, the saltshaker came under her control. She eagerly sent it soaring toward the blonde, who nimbly caught it in his sculpted hand.

"Whoa...Hehe...Geez, Raven, nice show ya put on there..." he mumbled with a chuckle. Raven grouchily glared at her eggs and pancakes.

{Idiot...It was just a SALT SHAKER...But no, you had to fumble around and turn it into some ridiculous-} She suddenly noticed that her pancakes had jumped on top of her eggs. With a sigh, she decided it would probably be best to eat as quickly as possible and spare herself further embarrassment.

As a conversation picked up concerning team tactics that could be used in the heat of battle, Raven noticed Starfire sneak into the room. She looked hilarious with all the odd, metal necklaces around her. They jangled with a lively ring as she flew toward the table. Waving her arms about, she shouted at the top of her lungs.

"HAPPY BLORTHOG, DEAR FRIENDS!!!"

Everyone had the wits scared out of them, and they all swerved their heads to stare at the hovering alien.

Each expression seemed more bewildered then the next. Starfire paused with them, slowly checking all their faces of pure confusion.

Her arms sagged down with disappointment. She whimpered to them, throwing her hands a little.

"...Blorthog...? Do you not know of Blorthog...? The Tamaranian Festival of Friendship...?"

"...Um...Well, we do NOW," Beastboy mumbled. "So...You gonna eat anything, or what?"

Starfire sighed, bobbing her head. How could none of them know of Blorthog? To her, it was just plain crazy.

"Yea, Star, if you don't take those flapjacks real soon, I WILL," Cy said with a grin.

Starfire frowned irritably as she glided around the table. After a moment of thought, she came to a conclusion. If they didn't know about Blorthog, she would teach them how special it was.

So, she started at Beastboy, and hung one around his neck. He froze, a syrupy mass of food about to reach his face, and waited until Star had removed her arms. Without second thought, he continued his feasting. Tenoch smiled and stared at his gobbling face. He was so cute...His bright, beaming eyes, his pointy little ears, and his shiny smile all caught her attention. She'd noticed them before, but...Now he was different. Because now she felt she was allowed to admire him without guilt, she supposed.

She playfully smacked his spiffy necklace, and the silver balls jingled merrily. He swallowed, then blinked at her in surprise. With a grin, he slapped hers back.

Starfire draped one around every one of the Titans, but none of them really seemed to quite understand why she was doing it. They were all too concerned with breakfast and their random conversation.

Starfire took her seat, in-between Robin and Beastboy, and waited patiently for an opening in the dialogue around her. After a few minutes, Cyborg and Sonic began to feud over who should get the last of the scrambled eggs, and neither was willing to back down. Everyone else began to excuse themselves, all heading toward the living room. Starfire had wandered off in thought, trying to plan out the events of the day. She suddenly awoke, realizing that Cyborg and Sonic were poking at each other’s hands with their forks.

"Oh, oh, bring it, ya sack of hair gel!"

"Fine with me, ya lump of rust!"

Starfire gasped in surprise as Sonic's fork was stabbed at the table just before her as Cyborg dashed around her chair. Their fork fencing took them down the hall, and Starfire jumped up from her chair, preparing to scold them.

As Sonic gave Cyborg a few vertical swings, forcing him further back, Starfire flew in-between them.

"Why, may I ask, are you dueling with culinary equipment?" she asked firmly.

"Because he's a jerk and won't even split the eggs with me," Sonic grumbled.

"Hey! I need my protein!"

"What?! You're half metal!! What good's protein gonna do ya?!"

"PLEASE!!" Star cried, pressing her palms into their chests to pull them apart. "Refrain from this quarreling. Friends do not fight this way over food!"

As their utensils clattered some more, pushing Starfire out of their feud, Cyborg complained some more.

"Well, maybe if this cocky little noobie gave me some more respect, I wouldn't have to put him in his place!"

It was an odd sight. They were fork fencing, using all types of nifty techniques, and their bell-like necklaces jangled beautifully. Fretting over this event, Star pondered how to resolve it. Before she could figure one out, Sonic nimbly hopped over Cyborg's head and went speeding off down the hall, snickering.

"Yea, dat's right! You better run!" the mechanical 'man' cried, giving chase.

With a huff, the Tamaranian pursued the pair, which led her to the living room. Of course, Raven and Robin were having a dispute about how loud the video game was.

"I only turned it up so I wouldn't have to listen to them!!" Robin defended, pointing at Link and Beastboy, who were wrestling around on the ground.

"Give it BACK, you jerk!" Beastboy demanded.

"OOO! Who's got your belt?! I got your belt!!" Link whipped it in the air briskly, and it happened to smack into Tikal's head, who was trying to read one of Raven's old books. The force of it lashed at her square in the face, and she yelped in pain.

"Link!" she whined, rubbing the red spot on her face as she dropped the book in a fit.

"BE CAREFUL WITH THOSE," Raven growled as she threw out her hand, preventing it from slamming into the ground.

Starfire stood in anguish, petrified from the events around her. How could such chaos break out on this day?

Naturally, Cyborg and Sonic entered the room, slashing their 'weapons' around fiercely, adding to the mayhem.

As Robin told Raven to chill, who complained to Tikal, who was whimpering to Link, who was taunting Beastboy, who had shoved into Sonic, who had stabbed Cyborg in the eye, who wasn't willing to back down, Starfire trembled with fury.

{How dare they mock Blorthog in such a way?} she asked herself, beginning to bubble up with anger.

And then, something finally broke her self-control. Cyborg threw his fork to the floor and grabbed Sonic by the neck, ripping his necklace off of him. Star let out a gasp as it came colliding with the ground, each ball of metal bouncing about with a ringing tone. Her eyes welled up, her fists balled up, her teeth clenched, and she exploded.

"STOP!!!"

And it was as if she had frozen time for a few moments. Everyone had froze in place, staring at her in fear. Cyborg's arms were wrapped around Sonic's neck, Beastboy was climbing up Link's shoulders, Tikal was defending herself from Raven's wrath, and Robin was trying to hold her back.

Panting, Starfire glared at them all. After a couple seconds to catch her breath, she ranted on at them.

"Why do you argue like this? Friends must NEVER fight like this! Especially on Blorthog! This is UNACCEPTABLE!! Do you wish to bring the Reckmahs upon us all?!"

After some blinking, the Titans removed themselves from each other and stared at the broken necklace on the ground with guilt.

"I have been looking forward to Blorthog for many 24 hour periods, and I will not accept this feuding between my friends, old or new."

"...What's Reckmahs...?" Tikal meekly mumbled. Star sighed, bobbing her head. She answered sadly and slowly.

"The Reckmahs is when close friends drift apart, farther and farther, until their friendships die..."

Robin assured her, "Star, don't say things like that. We're still friends..."

"Yea," Beastboy mumbled. "We're not...Reck-whatever-ing. We're cool."

"Mm hm," Tikal said with a nod.

"Just because we're yelling and, well, bugging the hell out of each other, doesn't mean we HATE each other," Sonic added.

Starfire sighed, still not so confident.

"...Why do you not apologize, then?"

After an awkward moment of silence, some mutters and mumbles rang out as everyone said sorry to one another, realizing how immature they were acting.

"Oh, come on, it's not big deal," Mario boldly proclaimed, casually strolling in with Tenochtitlan. "People piss each other off all the time, even best friends. Hell, you think me and my brother get along peachy all the time?"

"You...Have a brother?" Robin questioned, surprised.

"Well..." Mario paused, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Yea, I do. Or...At least, I think I do...Somewhere..."

"So...I should not worry?" Starfire timidly mumbled, not so sure.

"Well, not really. I mean, come on, we're all pals here, right?" Mario outstretched his arms, glancing at everyone in the room, who agreed with him. "Yea...It's just...You'll always have fights and such. I guess having ten people living in the same house can do that, anyway."

"'Sides," Beastboy concluded, "We're TEENAGERS! Duh! It's like, some sort of supernatural instinct to get on each other’s nerves, ya know?"

Starfire didn't quite understand what he meant. Did that mean she wasn't normal?

"We shall stay friends, then? Through all troubles that we may pass upon...?"

"Of course!" Robin immediately answered. "We'll stay being friends, don't you worry..."

"...So...We shall end this quarrelling for today, at least...?" Starfire hoped aloud. "Today is a day of great bonding and friendship. Shall we...go and play various games in the room of recreation, perhaps?"

And then, all at once, there was a beeping throughout the room. A little ditty played from Robin's communicator, and he briefly scanned it to see what the problem was.

"Together-ness time is gonna have to wait," he said solemnly. "The city's museum of archaeology has been broken into. Let's move."

)+(=|=)+(

TTX Chapter 8-2

A guard fired his pistol at the intruder, who merely chuckled as a laser came flying from his shoulder. The red beam smacked right into his weapon, and it went soaring about twenty feet or so, clattering to the ground.

The guard, standing in the dark halls of the museum, grabbed his pain- ridden hand.

"Oh, please...Do you honestly believe your prehistoric 'weapons' will take care of me?" a snobby tone came out from the criminal as he leisurely strolled by. He had a skinny mustache, and wore gold-colored armor, including a helmet. A large, smooth stone was fitted into his chest. He looked quite strange, indeed.

The guards around him all attacked, but their weapons proved useless, and he disarmed them in moments. As they attempted to fight him physically, he singed them with his laser cannon, easily dispatching them.

"I come from the future," he announced to the battered guards. "Your old ways are quite pathetic, I must admit. And now, if you don't mind, I'll be taking what is mine..."

He stepped forth, gazing at a clear container that held his treasure. It was a clock. A very mysterious clock, surely, but a clock. Shielded by its dent-resistant casing, one might think the robber would have trouble opening it.

But all he had to do was reach out for it- his arms went clear through, shrouded in a strange field of energy.

"Ahhh...At last, the Clock of Eternity...Valuable in the past, priceless in the future..." His eyes sparkled as he removed it from its case. It was quite a beautiful piece of work, and now it was his.

"But for the present, you'll keep your filthy hands off of it," came the stern tone of a teenage boy from not far away. The man turned to the balcony above him in this dark museum to see a boy with black hair, a cape, and an 'R' on his shirt.

"Ah...The Teen Titans," he murmured expectantly. "I've been waiting for you to arrive. I've read all about you in the historical archives..."

"Archive THIS!" Cyborg cried, blasting his arm cannon. The thick blue beam missed him as he back flipped out of its way. As he landed, he shot out his shoulder cannons at the balcony, blasting a section of it apart. The five original Titans came down a level and began to square off with him, while the remaining five waited above, out of sight.

Robin had given them orders to stay back. It wasn't because he didn't think they could get things done, per say, it was more that he felt he could catch the enemy by surprise by making them believe there were only five Titans at first. He'd give them the signal to jump in.

Beastboy pounced into the air, transforming into a hawk. With his new form, he dove at this mysterious man's face, jabbing with his beak and talons. The man waved his arms and blasted his lasers haphazardly. A beam batted Beastboy into a wall off in the distance.

From above, Tenochtitlan gasped in agony, aching to help her friend, but Mario stopped her firmly.

Starfire came flying at him, with Raven beside her. She flung blasts of green energy at him, which he absorbed with relative ease. He smashed Starfire with a quick punch, and she shrieked as she sailed in the air. Raven held up a shield to reflect his lasers and Robin and Cyborg prepared to attack from behind. Raven was pounded by the man's attacks until her black shield gave way. A couple beams singed her arm, and as she began to fall, he grabbed her leg, swinging her to the ground behind him.

Cyborg came at him with full force, ready to land a nice punch. He side stepped it, and spun around to face Cyborg. His opponent already had a nice plasma ray heading at him, but it only managed to take out one of his cannons. The gold-plated man gave Cyborg a roundhouse kick, and followed up with a few zaps to his chest, shocking him.

Robin swiped at him with his nifty little metal staff that could retract. The thief laughed as it hit his side, cracking in two.

"I come from the future," he announced. "All of your weapons are useless."

Robin growled and hopped into the air, spin-kicking at him. He reached out his arm, deflected Robin's kick, and smashed him with the other arm fiercely.

The five Titans lay on the ground, dazed, and so the man decided it was time to leave.

"Ah, you've been too kind, but I really must be going back to the future..." he said arrogantly, waving farewell as a portal sprung from his chest jewel.

There wasn't time to wait for Robin to signal. It was time to act. Starfire, however, already realized this, and was ready to pounce at him.

But before she did, Mario landed roughly in front of her, halting her with his hand. His palm was sticking out at the robber, who stared at them, dumbfounded. A ball of flames appeared in that palm, and Mario raised it above him slowly, charging it up.

Starfire watched in amazement as he threw his arm, flicked his wrist, and sent the energy careening at the thief. It traveled so fast she hardly saw it, but it certainly hit, exploding on impact with his face. He stumbled back a step, dropping the artifact, which was scooped up swiftly by Sonic, who came rushing in to take it. Before the man knew it, Link was in his face, slashing at his tough armor briskly, though not causing even a scratch.

The man hurriedly kicked Link in the face, slamming him to the smooth, marble floor.

"Who are you?!" He demanded, readying his cannons to shoot Sonic down, who had paused a moment to taunt him from about twenty feet away.

"We're the rest of the Teen Titans," Mario said smoothly, who leapt at him with full force.

He ducked, narrowly escaping the blow.

"W-What?! Th-that's impossible! I researched this date thoroughly, and there were only FIVE Titans!" he growled in surprise and annoyance. {Although,} he added mentally as he shot at Mario, {The sixth one joined shortly after this, I suppose I could've miscalculated...But she isn't here, and there were certainly NOT ten Titans, I was assured there were only five!}

Mario expertly dodged shot after shot, and he laughed as he did so.

"Must not have done a good enough job on your homework," he jeered.

The portal was still lingering in the air, and the time-traveler realized that his best plan would be to take the relic and escape.

He could make out a blue blur speeding about all around him, trying to throw him off whack. And then, a dark-skinned girl was in his face, slamming at him with her staff. Her eyes glowed a fierce red, but he wasn't afraid. He threw a small, disc-shaped device at her, which she blocked with her staff. Too bad it exploded on impact, blowing her into the air. Beastboy, who had regained his senses, immediately went to save her, turning into a gorilla. As she came toward the ground, he opened up his huge arms and caught her, trying to be as gentle as he could. He morphed back to normal, and her body leaned on his shoulder.

"You OK?" he demanded.

She shook her head slowly, still dizzy from the blast. With a cough, she choked out, "I'm all right..."

Starfire took another shot as Mario shouted something to Sonic that neither her nor her opponent could make out from the noise. Green explosions battered at his suit, and he guarded his face with his arms. Star decided to charge up a huge blast to throw all at once. As she did so, he unveiled his face, and prepared another bomb disc to throw. Her wave of green energy jolted into him shortly after he threw his weapon, which traveled clear through her energy and sent her spiraling. But Star's attack had succeeded in sliding him right next to his own portal. As he stared up at the scene around him, he could see Robin and Cyborg grinning at Sonic, who hid his arms behind his back and blew a raspberry.

"You pathetic little-"

He reached out his arms and grabbed Sonic's thin body, shaking his viciously. Sonic's arms waved about in the air, but the didn't hold the clock.

"What?!" he growled, tossing Sonic aside. He frantically searched the room, only to see Cyborg charging his beam, and Robin drawing a small boomerang- like device.

Just then, a dainty little hand poked his back, and he spun to see Tikal's innocent little face smiling with glee as she presented him the Clock of Eternity. His eyes sparkled with glee and he reached out to swipe it from her, but his hands belted the orange force field she had created. As Tikal giggled, the man frowned irritably, clenching his teeth.

"YO!" Cyborg shouted, catching his attention.

He whirled to see Robin's device smack into his stone, cracking it.

"GAH! NO! My vortex!" he shouted in despair. A large, blue beam shocked him, forcing him backwards another step. Tikal eagerly waved him goodbye merrily as Mario landed right in front of him and gave him a good, solid punch. The blow blasted him into the portal, and in a dazzling display of lights, he was gone.

After a few moments of silence in the dark, cheers rang out from the team.

"BOOYAH!!"

"Sweet!"

"Hell yea..."

"Damn right..."

"Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about..."

Starfire rushed to Raven's side, helping her up. Her left arm was bleeding some from the laser she had received.

"Raven!! You are injured!" she cried with worry.

Raven squeezed her arm, which ached severely, though she hid this fact.

"I'm fine," she mumbled. "It's just a little-"

"You are being drained of your vital bodily fluids! Dreadful! We must give you aid posthaste!" Star reached for Raven's shoulder to help comfort her, but the pal girl threw it off.

"It's nothing," she growled firmly. "I can take care of it..."

Starfire bit her lip as Raven continued to let blood ooze from her arm.

"Whoa!" Sonic cried, noticed her. "Man, what happened to you, Goth?"

She groaned, turning away from him.

"Nothing, I'm fine."

Robin called out to them, waving.

"Hey, you guys ready to head home?"

Starfire sighed, and turned to face Robin.

"Raven has been wounded!" she cried.

"What?"

The rest rushed over to see what was wrong.

Raven hid herself under her cloak, drifting away.

"Raven?" Cyborg called to her back. "You all right?"

"YES," she hissed. Cyborg froze from the coldness in her words.

"What happened?" Robin asked, approaching her. She ignored him, forming a barrier around herself.

"Her arm," Starfire murmured with concern. "It was damaged by that villain's lasers...Her bodily fluid...It is seeping from the point of contact."

"Say what?" Beastboy growled, supporting Tay, who seemed to have a limp.

"She's bleeding," Robin muttered simply.

"It's not serious, is it?" he checked. Starfire winced.

"I-I believe so."

Robin huffed and attempted to approach her again.

"Raven, what gives?" he demanded with worry as he noticed a small puddle of glistening crimson forming beneath her hovering form.

Suddenly, she spun around fiercely, flashing out both of her arms. Her left one now had only a bruise where the severe wound had been.

"...It looks fine to me," Robin muttered, confused.

Starfire frowned in thought. Raven must have quickly tended to it herself with her powers.

"It was nothing, just a scratch," she insisted.

"Whoa, OK," Robin said, backing off with his hands up. "No big deal, then. Let's all get back home..."

As they all began to pace toward home, Link whispered to Robin, "Is always this weird?"

"Yea, that was kinda freaky," Mario added quietly.

"She's always unpredictable," Robin admitted in a murmur.

Raven kept floating as Starfire drifted beside her. Tikal was placing the Clock back in its proper place- or least close to it, as the case was still sealed tightly.

"Raven..." Starfire mumbled nervously.

Her friend ignored her, simply rushing away hurriedly. She moved smoothly and silently, like a shadow. Starfire sighed deeply, very troubled by her friend. Something was wrong, and she wanted to help...

{Why do I always find so much trouble in my attempts to aid my friends...?}

Raven was indeed in need, and Starfire knew it. Something was amiss, and she intended on helping her. It was Blorthog, and on such a day there was no excuse not to help a friend in need.

*#*-*#*

"All right, let's see..." Beastboy mumbled to himself, scanning the note in his hands. Something written on it caught his attention.

"What? I am NOT getting you bacon, Cyborg."

"Come ON, BB! Ya know I need my bacon!"

Starfire, hovering over Beastboy's shoulder, called out.

"Do not fear, Cyborg. I shall retrieve your strips of pig meat in Beastboy's stead!"

Beastboy rolled his eyes and folded up the list, placing it in his pocket. He turned to Starfire and waved his arm.

"C'mon, Star. You ready?"

The girl floated gracefully in front of him, smiling.

"Oh, yes! Very ready!" she cried merrily. "We are to retrieve sufficient rations to meet our requirements, correct?"

"Uhh...Yea...Basically...Grocery shopping"

"Then leave we shall! Quickly," she grabbed his arm and began to fly off. "We must waste no time!"

"Wah!" Beastboy yelped as his arm was yanked. He suddenly realized what he was getting himself into.

-----

Sorry, I had to split it into two...

[Destiny_Smasher]

+-)(*)(*)(*)(-+

Beastboy tapped his foot thoughtfully, trying to decide what to get. He stared at the dairy section, pondering what he should buy.

"Yo, Star," he called to his friend. "What else do we need?"

Starfire, who manned the shopping cart, quickly pulled out the grocery list and referenced it.

"Um..." She scanned past the checked products and found what she was looking for.

"Your purchase reminder list says that we require lactose liquid...Milk?"

"Oh. Yea..." He grinned with embarrassment as he grabbed a couple gallons of the white drink and plopped them into the cart.

"What else?"

Star nodded, noting the paper again.

"And...That is all...Oh, wait...It also says we are in need of...Chocolate...Ah! Glorious! That is the brown confection that-"

"Yea, uh...Almost forgot..." Beastboy mumbled, dashing for the candy aisle. Starfire grabbed the cart and pushed it along with him. They rushed through the store, almost knocking over an old lady.

"Sorry!" Starfire called behind her.

Beastboy had skidded to a stop and had grabbed a heart-shaped box. Starfire took note of this, and realized that the chocolate was not for her to eat.

"Ahh...I understand," she mumbled. "Perhaps this is why 'Tulips' are also on the grocery list...?" she said slyly.

"GAH! I totally forgot those, too!" Beastboy cried, throwing the box of chocolates at Star, who caught them in surprise.

After a minute or so, he returned, panting, with a bouquet of purple tulips in hand.

"They are truly delightful," Starfire murmured, picturing Beastboy handing them to Tay.

Suddenly, she froze, lost in thought. Beastboy reviewed the list and realized they had picked up everything.

"Yea, that's it," he announced as he began to push the cart along. After a moment, he realized Star wasn't following.

"...Uh...Star? What's up?" he asked quizzically.

Star snapped out of her trance and floated over to Beastboy.

"Um...Beastboy...May I ask for your advice...?" she mumbled nervously, poking her index fingers at one another.

"Sure, what's up?" he wondered curiously.

"Well..." Starfire bobbed her head, embarrassed. "You see, I...Your courageousness to ask Tenochtitlan out to court with you...It has inspired me to pursue my own wishes, but...I do not know how to go about my operations..."

After giving her a confused look, he muttered, "What...?"

She sighed, shook her head, and dismissed it.

"Um...'Never mind'...? It is...not important..."

Beastboy shook his head, and as Star drifted by him, he caught her shoulder.

"Whoa, whoa...Star, it's not something to be ashamed of. What is it? You like somebody...?"

Star blushed and grinned sheepishly.

"Well, I...I like many people..."

"You KNOW what I mean...Go on...What, you need advice from a MAN'S point of view...?" He puffed out his chest proudly.

"I...suppose...It is..." She huffed, finding trouble trying to say what she wanted to.

"There is...someone...who I care for deeply. I wish to express my true feelings for them, but when I try, I cannot make them come out...I am afraid..."

Beastboy patted her back lightly as he chuckled.

"What's there to be scared of? I mean, it's just a date. You ask them out, and...if they don't want to, they'll tell ya, and ya go about your business..."

Star shook her head, avoiding his gaze, her cheeks red.

"No, it is...I am fearful that I may ruin what I have with this person...I do not wish to make them feel uncomfortable, I truly wish to make them happy, but...I do not know HOW..."

Beastboy smirked as he fit things together. It wasn't too hard to tell who this 'someone' was, and he understood where she was coming from. He didn't quite seem like the 'dating' type of guy.

"Listen. All you have to do is tell them exactly how you feel, and what you want. That's it."

Star looked up at him, trembling.

"But, what if-"

"Don't worry. See, that's the thing! You start asking yourself, 'What if-?' and you're gonna lead yourself to trouble. Just think of 'what if' on a positive side. Ya know, like...Instead of, 'What if he says no?' ask yourself, 'What if he says YES?'"

Starfire smiled meekly, still uneasy about it all.

"Listen. If you never take risks, you can't expect to gain anything. Every good thing you ever can get has a risk that was taken behind it. So just let it all go and talk about it."

He placed his finger on her forehead.

"Stop letting THIS decide for you-" he moved it to her chest, "- and start letting THIS decide..."

Starfire grabbed her chest slowly, as if absorbing the statement. Something she knew fully well she should do, but...She had to be reminded of it. Yes. Tonight. Tonight was the night she would talk to him. Blorthog, her favorite day of the year. It was perfect. Hopefully, things would work out.

She smiled cheerfully and squeezed Beastboy lovingly.

"Thank you, dear friend! Your words inspire me further!"

"No...problem," he choked as he tried to return her friendly embrace.

#(-[+]-)#

"Soo...What's this crap again...?" Mario questioned doubtfully, poking at his plate with a spoon.

After Beastboy has served up dinner as he had promised (though had hoped he could be alone with Tay), Starfire had eagerly prepared dessert, and Tenochtitlan had helped her. The result was a strange concoction that resembled jello with strange blobs of fuzzy objects drifting in it.

"This is Tamaranian Blorthog Bragnark!" Starfire exclaimed with joy as she placed another plated of it in front of Beastboy.

"...Mm...Yea, sounds great," Sonic mumbled doubtfully, staring at it in fear. Tikal frowned and elbowed him sternly. He huffed and slowly scooped up a portion of the substance.

"Made with real Globbalike Fungus!" Tay added cheerfully, slurping a decent chunk of it merrily.

If Beastboy weren't already green, he would've turned it at the sight of her gulping it down.

"Well, if she can eat Star's food," Cyborg muttered to him, "Then she should have no problem downing YOURS..."

As Starfire eagerly took her seat, she paused, noticing the empty seat beside her.

"Ummm...Where is Robin...?" she mumbled. Realization struck- both of the seats beside her were empty. "And Raven?"

She glanced around the room to see everyone else shrug simply.

Starfire frowned sadly as she decided to find them.

"I shall retrieve them. Please, enjoy your meal," she said as she flew out of them room thoughtfully.

No sooner had she left the room had Cyborg jumped out of his seat and made way for the trash can.

"What're you doing?!" Tenochtitlan demanded angrily. He froze, just before his jelly-like substance had slid into the garbage.

"I, uh...Well, er...I just remembered- I'm allergic to those, eh...Fungus...thingies..."

Tay eyed him suspiciously (brown), then decided that he was lying. Regardless, she knew she couldn't hold it against him.

"The least you could do is ask if anyone ELSE wants some," she responded bitterly.

He froze, eyes wide, and slowly raised his plate. It wobbled, and he almost dropped it from his dish, but caught it carefully.

"Mmm...Actually, I'll take summa that," Mario called, raising his arm. He swallowed some, patting his stomach. "Tastes like...Sushi mixed with ice cream...Distinct flavor...I like it. Good job, Tay. Didn't know you could cook..."

Tay blushed, squinted her eyes.

"I COULDN'T cook, but I've been working on it."

Beastboy slid his plate in front of her, and she lit up with joy.

"OO!! You don't want yours, either?" she asked excitedly.

Beastboy rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"No, uh, see...It looks good and all, but...If you really want it...I mean..."

Tenoch grinned and gave him a quick hug before diving into yet another helping of Bragnark.

"Actually, uh..." He stared in disbelief as she swallowed bites of it whole. "Um..." He glanced at everyone else in the room, and they got the hint to leave.

"Actually what?" Tay mumbled, looking back up at him.

"Nothin'. So, uh...Where do ya wanna go tonight?" he muttered shyly as the kitchen room grew empty and quiet.

Tenoch paused a moment to think, her eyes orange.

"Hm. How about you surprise me?" she said cheerily.

"Sure...OK..." Beastboy mumbled, standing up, her took her hand, like a gentlemen, and pushed her seat in.

"Ya know, you don't have to be so formal," she said with a giggle. "It's not like you..."

His eyes widened.

"OH! Y-you don't like it?" he quickly questioned, removing his hand from hers.

She smiled, shaking her head. "Oh, don't worry so much. Just be you." She grabbed her arm and placed his palm back in hers. They both blushed meekly.

"No prob," he answered, sticking out his tongue at her. She blew him a raspberry back.

=_(-)+_+(-)_=

It burned like mad, she couldn't stop it from hurting...GAH! Such an irritating little injury, and yet it wouldn't desist!

She sucked in air between her teeth as another wave of pain flashed through her arm. It wasn't bleeding, but where the gash has been there was now a blackish spot on her arm.

{Look at you...} A voice penetrated the physical agony. {You didn't help a damn bit today. You got herself hurt, and now you can't handle it...}

{I have it under control. It's NOTHING...} she snapped back.

{Why does it not feel so good, then?} a sadder tone questioned. {It should have gone away by now...}

{The more I concentrate on it, the more it's going to hurt...}

{You DO know why it hurts so much, right?} a stern voice muttered. {It's not the arm that's really hurting you. It's your heart that hurts...All day, you've sat alone, hiding from your friends. Why? Because you feel rejected. You feel out of place.}

{No matter what I do, they'll never really accept me,} she defended herself. {There's no point in getting upset over something I have no control over...}

{But you ARE getting upset about it...Weren't you going to show your friends how much you really cared about them today? What ever happened to that plan?}

{I...I've been distracted...}

{Of course...}

*THUMPTHUMPTHUMP*

Raven jumped, scared stiff from the pounding that echoed through her dreary room. After a moment, she realized it was her door. A sweet and concerned voice penetrated it and called out to her.

"Raven...? Raven, are you well? It is Starfire! Um...I have prepared a delicacy of my home planet for you, do you-"

"Not hungry," she growled.

Starfire stood outside the door, her eyes sad and frustrated.

"Oh...Well, perhaps you wish to-"

"Be alone...?" Raven finished.

"...May I...'be alone' with you? May I partake in your meditation?"

"No, just go away," Raven groaned irritably.

Starfire huffed, clenching her fists. Why did no one ever accept her help?

Just then, Raven noticed her dresser rattle. Some statues in her room began to tremble. Her books slowly began to fall off of their case, and her bed began to shake slightly.

"Raven...? What is going on?" Starfire asked solemnly.

"N-Nothing, I just..." Raven trailed off, realizing that her powers were going out of whack. She hadn't been meditating properly lately, and in her emotional mess, she was letting her powers go a little wild.

{Let her in!!} her screamed in her mind. Not any of those other voices, but herself. {You know you want some support right now, and you know Star will give it...}

"Raven, I am concerned that you are upset. Please, if I may-"

"All right, all right..." she mumbled, bobbing her head.

Starfire eagerly opened the door and flew in, seeing Raven huddled up on her old-fashioned bed, hiding in her cloak. As the door slid shut behind her, Star landed softly next to Raven.

Noticing her shadowed face, Starfire reached out and arm. Raven froze up for a moment, but let Star remove her hood to reveal her face.

"There..." she said with a slight smile. "I wish to see you face-to- face..."

"Why? What's so special about it...?" she grumbled, still looking away.

"Your face? Oh, Raven, your face is very special. Your eyes, they...They open a portal to your soul..."

Raven's lip curled, almost smiling, but not quite.

"And Raven, my friend, your eyes tell me that you are quite troubled. Please...If we are truly friends, then...You shall tell me what is hindering your happiness on such a day as Blorthog..."

Raven glanced at her, but quickly retreated again.

"It's nothing, really."

"I do not think so," Star answered calmly. After a moment’s thought, she offered a deal. "If you reveal your ailments to me...I shall...inform you of my own. Does this sound fair...?"

Raven was a little confused, but this somehow made her feel more comfortable.

"Well...OK...If you really need to know..."

Starfire clapped her hands briskly with joy.

"Glorious. Now, please, hold nothing back. We are friends, you have nothing to hide. I promise, I shall not tease..."

Raven gulped, feeling all her emotions welling up inside her, ready to burst.

{Go on, just let it out. Just...pretend like she's not there, and just talk...}

She cleared her throat and closed her eyes. She bobbed her head, letting her silver hair hang low, and mumbled. Starfire leaned over to listen.

"I'm just real stressed lately, with all these things going on...We just got five more roommates, and it's not easy to come to grips with all the new faces and noises..."

Starfire noticed Raven's arms poking out of her cloak. The one that had been attacked earlier now had a black spot on it. She gasped in fear.

"Raven! Your arm, it..."

Raven's eyes snapped open, and she yanked her arm back into the darkness.

"My arm's fine, just bruised..."

Starfire inspected Raven dubiously, seeing through her. She looked nervous, and paler than usual.

"Raven, please...Do not lie," she asked sadly. "I am your friend, are I not? You know I would never..." She trailed off with a sigh, dropping her arm.

Raven's eyes darted around the room anxiously.

"You're right," she murmured, huffing. "Listen, it's fine, really. I fixed it up myself, but I guess it still needs more time..."

Starfire cracked a smile and let it go.

"Thank you," she mumbled. "But...Something else ails you..."

Raven nodded slowly, feeling somewhat better about the situation. With a deep breath, she continued.

"I don't know, I guess I feel...less wanted. Like everyone's judging me."

Starfire shook her head, but Raven went on.

"Maybe they're not, but it feels like it. I feel so out of place. Everybody can be smiling and...and laughing...And I just sit there by myself. It's not like anybody would enjoy my company anyway, so-"

"Do not say these things!" Starfire urged, staring Raven dead in the eyes with concern. "Raven...You are wanted. Perhaps...Perhaps we may not show it sometimes, but...We are afraid we may anger you..."

Raven's eyes widened.

"You're afraid of ME...?" she mumbled.

Starfire shrugged, bobbing her head.

"Well...Maybe the others are not, but I am...on occasion. I do not wish to endanger your happiness, and Robin always says that you wish to be alone..."

Raven paused to think on this for a moment, frowning in perplexment.

"...Well, Star...I'm afraid of YOU guys...Just...Some part of me always says that I'll never be accepted. I'm too...'out there.' So I get over it."

Starfire gave Raven a pat on the shoulder.

"Dear friend, do you not think that I feel same way? I am from another world, too. But I have learned many things here, and I do not let my differences halt myself. You must never feel afraid to be with your friends..."

She made sure Raven's wide eyes were locked with hers as she spoke firmly.

"We are your friends, Raven. We would never think badly of you...All you must do is open yourself, and then we will all understand you better. But we already accept you..."

"...Really...?" the pale-skinned girl mumbled hopefully. "But...I can't. If I let my emotions get out of hand, then my powers will go crazy...So I meditate every day to clear my mind of everything..."

Starfire contemplated for a minute or two of silence, then came up with the solution.

"Raven, you meditate to forget your own emotions...But...This is unhealthy, it is why you feel so scared and...unfriendly...Is it not...?"

Raven narrowed her eyes as it struck. Maybe she was getting on to something.

"I believe," Star continued, "that you hide your feelings so much that when you cannot ignore them, you lose control over your powers."

Raven nodded slowly, recognizing this fact.

"...Perhaps if you stopped hiding your emotions and let them out more often, then..." Her eyes lit up and she figured out to phrase it right. "Yes. Raven, your feelings escape you in one fashion or another. Either you destroy them within, or they come out in the form of energy...But if you let them out willingly...Maybe you will not have to worry about ignoring them OR losing control..."

The purple-eyed teen stared at the ground thoughtfully.

{Maybe she's on to something...I never really tried that...But...I don't know what'll happen...}

"That's not as easy for me as it is for you, Starfire," she mumbled quietly. "You're used to being all...open...But I'm not. I can't just change myself so drastically."

Starfire giggled.

"You are correct, Raven. But you are not changing yourself. These feelings...They are already part of you, are they not? You just must let what is inside out..."

Star gave Raven an encouraging smile as she stood up.

"I must depart. Robin is missing, as well. No doubt he requires cheer. But I hope I have aided you in your troubles."

Raven meekly smiled back, her cheeks pink with embarrassment.

"...Thanks, Starfire..." she mumbled shyly. "I, uh...I'll think about what you said..."

Starfire hopped merrily, clapping her hands.

"Glorious! Then...You shall join us? There is still time left to frolic on this glorious Blorthog!"

Raven nodded slowly.

"Um...Yea, I'll be there in a little while. I just need some time to think first..."

"Of course, friend. I look forward to seeing you soon."

As the door slid shut, Raven gazed out her window into the cloudy night sky. The lights of the city reflected in her wet, violet eyes as she thought deeply.

{...She's right...This is what must be holding me back. This whole time, I've been...Not being ME. I've been hiding myself INSIDE. If I turn myself inside out, then maybe...Maybe I'll start to feel better. It's worth a try...}

=+~(+)~+=

The crickets chirped their song of solitude peacefully as a slight breeze played with the blades of grass and the leaves of trees. The sky was a golden color, the clouds all around it bathed in a glorious light as the distant sun slowly sunk into the horizon.

A couple of teenagers were walking hand-in-hand up a hill. One was a beautiful dark-skinned girl with soft braids of black hair. The other was green with pointy ears and short, messy hair.

"I still can't believe it..." Beastboy mumbled to himself incredously. "How old are you?"

Tenochtitlan shrugged, not sure as to how to take Beastboy's surprise.

"I'm eighteen..." she mumbled. "Is there...something wrong...?"

"Oh, no, that's fine..." Beastboy assured her. "It's just...I can't believe you've never been out on a date before..."

Tay tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"Well, I don't remember much, but...I KNOW I've never been on a date. Tikal's been on plenty, though, I know that. She used to tell me all about them..."

Beastboy shook his head. How could such a wonderful girl in physical beauty and emotional beauty spend her first eighteen years without a single date?

"Well...Are you happy...?" he asked her, cringing with worry. He hoped he'd provided a good example.

She smiled, her eyes pink, and rubbed his hand softly.

"Of course I am. I've had fun."

Beastboy sighed of relief inside. Good. At least she had enjoyed herself. He couldn't ask for anymore than that. As they reached the top of the hill, they could see the sunset quite clearly, and its glow bounced off if their lively eyes in a stunning manner.

"HOWEVER," Tay added slyly, narrowing her eyes. "Something's missing..."

Beastboy froze up. Missing? What was missing...? He hadn't forgotten anything, had he? No, no...They'd gone everywhere he'd planned.

"...What's that?" he asked, wrapping his empty hand in her other one as he stared deeply into the brilliant pink jewels on her face. They glowed with happiness, and her cheeks flushed the same color.

"It's missing a kiss," she said simply. As she playfully tugged on his arms, she added, "Did you honestly think you would get through the night without having to give me a kiss...?"

Beastboy's jaw was dropped.

"A...A kiss...? F-from ME?" he choked out in excitement.

Tay giggled.

"Well, if you really don't want to, I COULD go and kiss that squirrel over there..."

Beastboy suddenly shrank in size and stared up at her with cute, black eyes and a bushy tail. This caused Tay to laugh even more.

"BB!! Stop it!" she snickered. "I want to kiss the REAL you..."

Beastboy was back to his normal form, grinning wildly.

"Well, here I am, feel free!" he squeaked.

Tenochtitlan paused a moment, trying to figure things out. She carefully placed her arms around Beastboy's shoulders, causing him to tremble. His hands found their way at her hips, and they inched closer, until their faces were inched apart.

Beastboy braced himself for the worst- or best, rather. He closed his eyes and waited a moment as her face approached his. Suddenly, he was caught by surprise as he received his kiss- an Eskimo kiss. She rubbed her nose against his lovingly for a moment, giggling sweetly. He couldn't help but laugh, too, and he returned it. As they removed their heads, their faces were bright red, their eyes conveying their enjoyment.

"Ya know," Beastboy mumbled devilishly. "That was great, but...I was thinking something more like...-" He trailed off, slowly moving his lips toward hers. And, once again, he was caught off guard as he puckered up too early- he'd hit her fingers. She'd held them up to stop him, and was waving her other index finger at him.

"Ah ah ahhh..." she said playfully. Beastboy was disappointed and confused, but that ended quite shortly. "You're doing it all wrong...Like THIS..."

She lowered her fingers slowly and gazed at him deeply with a very relaxed and, as far as Beastboy was concerned, arousing expression. Ever so carefully, her lips softly touched his, and Beastboy felt as if air from heaven escaped her mouth into his.

It was over as suddenly as it had arrived, but it was well worth it.

He couldn't say a word. All he was capable of doing was standing in awe, gazing off into the air dreamily. Tenoch grinned with laughter, but managed to hold it in.

"I guess I know what I'm doing better than YOU do," she chuckled. "So I guess experience has nothing to do with it..."

Beastboy took a deep and slow breath, then said quietly, "You SWEAR you've never done this before...?" as if he still couldn't believe it.

"No, I swear," she cried, giving him a small slap on the shoulder. "Why would I lie?"

"Well, you're pretty deceptive, playing all innocent on me," he replied smoothly, blocking the next smack that was given to him.

-]_(*[+]*)_[-

Starfire sighed deeply as she drearily drifted down the hallways. Suddenly, she bumped upon Tikal, who sat gracefully, reading an old, brown book with thick, wood covers. Its pages were yellowed and old, with an ancient language written upon them.

Star gazed curiously over her shoulder, and she turned to face the tanned girl.

"Oh, Star...What is it?" she asked calmly, slowly closing the book.

Starfire fiddled with her fingers nervously as she murmured with worry.

"I cannot find Robin anywhere. I wish for him to join us in our celebration. Shall you come, too?"

Tikal nodded happily, placing the book on her hip.

"Sure, I just needed a little time alone. Robin?" She tapped her chin, glancing down the hall.

"Yea, I saw him go into that room over there," she mumbled, pointing out a door near the end of the hall.

Star nodded briskly and zipped toward it, waving farewell.

"Many thanks!" she called out.

----------

({[]})({[]})*({[]})({[]})

Suddenly, she froze up with fear and gasped in horror. She now realized what room this was...It was...It was the 'Slade' room...

"No..." she whimpered. "This cannot be right...Robin, he promised..." Water was beginning to form in her beautiful eyes. Robin couldn't break his promises, he just...he just couldn't!

She faced her fears and pressed a button, opening the door. But her fears were quickly recognized as the room sprawled out before her. The darkness, the dim light, and the papers on the walls...It was all like before.

She gulped and trudged in, her legs feeling weak.

Robin was hunched over his desk, just like before, staring at something in his hand. As Star approached, she felt her stomach get queasy. She stopped, unable to get any closer. How could Robin break his promise? How could he continue to hurt himself like this?

And then the masked crusader spun around in his chair to see Star. He had a warm grin about him, and was almost chuckling. But then he saw Star's destroyed expression, and he froze.

"S-Starfire? Wh...What's wrong?" he muttered, confused.

Star simply frowned at him with disappointment, and squinted her eyes shut. She crossed her arms over her chest firmly, and bobbed her head.

"Wh...-?" Robin got up as she began to hobble out of the room. He grabbed her shoulder firmly, and spun her body around.

"Star, is this about the last time?" he asked slowly and nervously. Starfire simply gave him an almost angry glance, then looked away.

"Star," Robin tried to convince her, "I know what I promised. And I haven't ignored it. Look..." He rose up what he had been looking at to her face. "Look at this..."

She reluctantly opened her eyes to see a picture of five teenagers, all lined up in front of their new home.

"Do you remember that day?" he said slowly, smiling fondly. "When we finally became a full-fledged team? When you joined us...?"

Starfire's eyes now glowed with memories, her expression full of awe.

"I do..." she whispered. "But..." She blinked in confusion. "What relevance does this photograph have with-" Robin had eased her further into the room, where it all began to make sense. The desk, it had pictures on it- pictures of the Titans. It had an old prototype communicator, and some of Robin's old devices. Upon the wall were various articles of how the Titans had 'saved the day,' as well as other various pictures and things from their past.

"...I understand..." she murmured with a rising glee. "This is no longer a Slade room...It is a...friendship room!" She finished with glee, hopping a little. "Robin, this is fantastic! I find it truly appealing!"

Robin nodded, glancing around the room.

"Yes, I thought you'd like it," he muttered. He led Starfire to a small couch he had placed next to the desk, leaned up against the wall. Another small light hung above it, but Starfire left it off. She enjoyed the dim setting. He could see his face fine, and he could make out hers.

"So, uh...Did you need something?" he asked as he sat down and admired a black helmet with pointed ears that made the centerpiece of his desk.

Starfire suddenly froze up. This was a perfect opportunity, wasn't it? They were alone...It was Blorthog day, of course. Nothing could go terribly wrong, correct? She had made Raven spill her heart out a bit. She should start 'practicing what she preached,' as they said it.

"Oh! Well, I..." She twiddled her thumbs nervously, her eyes wandering. "Everyone else is waiting for us so we may spend more bonding time as a unit, but..." She cleared her throat as it was becoming dry. "There is something of importance I wish to speak to you about beforehand."

Robin nodded slowly, staring at another picture Cyborg had taken- without permission, of course. Using his hand, he had snuck in a picture of Starfire and Robin on a ferris wheel together. They were both laughing about who-knew-what, but...

"Shoot," he answered calmly, continuing to gaze at the photo.

"Um...Well, I know I still have many things to learn of the peoples of your planet...And I am still studying, but I believe this matter does not require much study...I am...not well learned in the ways of courtship in your world, but I might guess that perhaps they are quite similar to those of Tamaran, and..."

Robin was staring at her in perplexment now, trying to make sense of her rambling.

"Forgive me and my incompetent mumbling," Star whispered, embarrassed. Her cheeks had become bright red- as red as her soft, shining hair.

"No, it's all right," Robin answered smoothly.

"...I...I..." Starfire couldn't manage her words properly. {How do I explain such intense emotions in words? Perhaps I should just let my question burst outward...}

And so, out of nowhere (almost), she muttered a question. It was very clear, very solemn, and pleading.

"...Robin, if you don't mind my asking...Would you wish to...'go out' with me...? On a date...?"

Though she had paused here and there, her voice had not wavered one bit. She was showing as much courage and confidence as she could muster at the moment.

Robin gave her a completely puzzled look, and she felt that courage begin to crumble. Robin scratched his chin for a moment, contemplating such a question as Starfire froze up. And then, quite suddenly, he glanced back up at her expectant eyes, and he let out a light smile.

"Why wouldn't I, Star? Of course."

Starfire's eyes sparkled with joy, and she grabbed Robin's hands excitedly.

"Oh, glorious," she whispered, grinning a huge grin. "Thank you dearly, Robin...You will no regret your decision. We will enjoy a lovely evening, I assure you!"

She scrambled up from her seat, bringing a blushing Robin up with her. She squeezed his hands tightly in hers for a moment as her mind wandered from place to place.

"We must arrange our plans posthaste. Where is it you wish you go? What activities shall we participate in?"

Robin let out a small laugh and shrugged.

"You're the one who though of the idea. We'll go wherever you want..."

Star's next action was to bow to Robin elegantly, letting her flowing red hair fall over her shoulder. As she rose, she took a deep breath and attempted to calm herself.

"...You are truly generous, Robin...Might I suggest we go to a romantic restaurant to consume our evening meal...?" She tapped her cheek thoughtfully as she paced a little, looking upward. "Aaand...I believe it would be delightful if we visited the carnival that is in session this week. Yes, that would be glorious..."

As she glanced back at Robin, she paused, her face suddenly being humbled by his smile. She returned the warm grin that he displayed. It was so unlike him, but Star knew it was him, all the same.

"So...At eight, then?" Robin asked casually, though he looked a little nervous. Star nodded quickly at him in the adorable way she often did.

"Yes, that would be very sufficient," she murmured. "But...This night is still young...Do you wish you partake in the rituals of Blorthog? Everyone else is waiting for our company..."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Robin said in a warm, quiet tone.

~[<+--\-<*>-/--+>]~

End Transmission

{\+<--/-<*>-\-->+/


You people had better appreciate that, ya know. You may not be getting another update for a while. Give mer some more DETAILS, people. If you're going to be demanding of me, I'm going to be demanding of YOU.

[Sproxie]

that was GREAT! so is raven's personality going to change?
anyway i like it all! this was probably the best chapter so far! u got a little bit of everybody in there! :) keep writing!

[raven54]

he's right- I LOVE THIS STORY:D :D :D :D :D :D :D

GIVE ME MORE OR I WILL FIND YOU (or be put back into my nice padded room in a straitjacket)

Smash- you like Super Smash Bros. too? Cool- I love that game! Is that where the "smasher" part of your SN comes from?

and FYI- I've been copy-and-pasting this fic into Word and you are a page shy of 100 at 10 pt arial font!!! congrats

[Destiny_Smasher]

Um...:sad:

Well, not quite what I was looking for, but...At least it's positive.

Yes, actually, that IS where 'Smasher' comes from.

I've used this name as my net-name for...wow...5, 6 years now...?

Anyway, um...

OH! Raven's personality?

Well, I LOVED the episode 'Spellbound' because Raven was depicted JUST like I always pictured her! If you saw Raven in Spellbound, you have a good taste of the character she's gradually going to turn into.

I so called the white cloak. :anime:

Actually, ya know...100 pages doesn't sound like much compared to what I HAVE written these past few years of my life...Then again, it IS typed...

My first fanfic? Well...Let's see...

It JUST reached 100-notebook pages when I was done with it. A Pokemon fanfic. And if you know me, you can imagine what I did with it and what I am CONTINUING to do with it as I bring my Pokemon characters into my network of fiction.

Bear in mind that this fic is one story of many that all tie together like a spider web, so to say.

Don't worry- when I finish posting what I have of this fic, I'll introduce you to my other ones.

Chapter 9, 10, and 11 are huge, I can say that. About Chapter 13 is where I ALMOST am, and that's roughly 1/2 or 2/3 into the story. It's hard to say at this point.

I also have a Golden Sun going and a newly-started Tales of Symphonia.

But it all ties into the BIG one- Quest for Destiny!

I guess you place that fic under 'Melee,' as it DOES have all the Melee characters in it, and SO MUCH MORE.

Update? Oh, no, not yet, folks.

DETAILS, people. If you love this fic so much, that should be easy!

Action- what do you think?

Location- Am I portraying atmosphere well?

Expressions- can you see the way their faces move?

Relationships- Do they feel real?

Character development(Though this isn't big until later)- Are the characters slowly changing without you thinking, (That doesn't seem right...) ?

So yea, peeps, tell me more.

[Sproxie]

not posting yet is Sooo evil.... :(
well hmmm let me be the first....

Action- GREAT
Location- Definately
Expressions-Yes
Relationships- EXTREMELY
Character development- Are the characters slowly changing without you thinking, (That doesn't seem right...) ? sure it does and in a way yes....



is that good?
please post, please post, please post, please post, please post, please post, please post, please post, please post, please post, please post, please post, please post, pleese post soon...

[raven54]

I personally reeeeeealy like the way you do the relationships- romantic or friendship-wise. Spellbound was a kick ass episode as far as Raven is concerned. They did it perfectly- tho I don't get who Cardiac is. Action- very nicely done, not jerky at all. Location-good. Sprox is right- they're changing- but GRADUALLY, which is very important. They don't just wake up one day all different, you see how they got there. Expressions-yup, you got that down.

So good job. YOU EVIL PERSON HOW DARE YOU LEAVE US HANGIN! although it's true most of the posts weren't very discriptive- but we were just at a loss for words, maybe:D

[Destiny_Smasher]

:frylock:

OK...What was that all about? Someone had better let the rest of us in on this.

If you wanna keep secrets amongst yourselves, that's all fine and good, but if it gets talked about here, people- like me- are going to want to know what you're talking about. So please, do enlighten us.

I can assume that it was a spoiler, but what was it a spoiler ABOUT?
*sigh*

I'm really depressed because my flashdrive, 'Starfire,' is missing. Damnit, she cost me $70, and I've only had her for a couple months or so...I'm going to have buy a new one if I can't find it, and I think it may have gotten stolen...*sigh*

Uber depressing...Raven, my main computer, shall weep tonight. Oh, and, well...I guess I could refrain from using Robin, my gaming controller, as some sort of 'moment of silence' type thing or something...

Damnit, does that piss me off...I ALWAYS put things that are important in the SAME PLACE ALL THE TIME so I never lose it, and it's always those important things that get LOST!! :mad:

I guess I'll have to buy a new one in a couple weeks...Man, does that piss me off so bad...There's almost a week's pay, down the drain...Six days of waking up at 4 a.m. to mop floors and getting out of work at 6:30 or so with just enough time to catch a wink before school...

Um...So, yea...I think I'll crawl in a corner with my DK Bongos and wait until this weekend when I can get Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Once I have that, it'll all be good and I probably won't even worry about my flashdrive until a week later when I can buy myself a new one that I will take better care of...

Yea, and this bloody cold isn't helping. Twice now I've had to leave the computer for fear of choking on my own mucus. I popped both eardrums blowing my nose...:sad:

Anyway, um...Where was I...?

Well, uh, that '100 pages' down there SHOULD be a THOUSAND pages. *sweatdrop* Hm...Just a sec...

100 pages.

1000 pages.

Just checking. On one website I could never write 1000 for some reason...-_-'

So, em...About character development...

As I said, Raven evolves drastically. Like I ALSO said, Spellbound depicted her ina way very similar to how she is LATER- but I wrote her like that before she was like that on the show. :anime:

I was worried that Raven would jump too drastically or something, but, apparently, the transition was very nice. Actually, it starts becoming apparent in this next Chapter: 9. Nine is long. Quite long.

Hm...But whether to post it up or not...? So soon...Well, I guess...mm...Gah...

OK, OK...I'll post up Chapter 9 now. But I'd better get lots of feedback, and I want some specifics, like what scenes you liked most, particular moments, etc.

And you're going to have to be patient for the next one.

The Q4D! Saga...

Winds of Fate: The X Factor

Chapter 9- Awkward

"Mmm...It was just...I've never experienced anything like it before..." Tenochtitlan murmured dreamily.

"Your lips came into contact with each other...?" Starfire whispered with glee.

Tay nodded, smiling weakly, her cheeks flushed.

Tikal rapidly clapped her hands in a quiet fashion, beaming with joy.

"That's delightful!" she said merrily. "You two really make a cute couple, I think..."

"Thanks," Tay managed out, still captured by that moment from the night before. That kiss...It was so perfect, so right...She'd never had any experience like that before.

{I feel so guilty,} she thought to herself. {It's like it's too good...Like I'm not supposed to be doing that sort of thing...} She found her own thoughts comical. What was she to complain about? Everything was working out great! She was learning to cook, she was finding out what dating was like, she had new friends...And yet...There was a HUMONGOUS empty space amidst it all. She ignored it, but it was still there. No happiness she could have here would get rid of it. If only she knew what would fill that gap in...

Raven was walking behind them shyly. She hadn't said much since they had began their trek through the tower that morning. She just felt so unsure about trying to open herself up. But she was gradually working on it.

{I just need to let the real me out...} she kept telling herself.

She glanced at Starfire's face. It was elated and excited. Nervous, even. She could feel all these mixed emotions coming out from the girl.

"...So, Star...What's up with you...?" she managed to croak out.

Star paused in surprise for a moment, and she turned her head behind her to see the hooded girl. She slowed her pacing slightly so that the two of them were side-by-side, and looked at the big, purple eyes of the Titan. They were ready to explode with emotions. Just like her own were.

"...I-I...-" she fumbled as her hands fidgeted with one another. "Wh- whatever do you mean? There is nothing wrong, I am feeling quite fine..." she answered with a slight shakiness to her. In a playful way of trying to forget her nervousness, she threw Raven's hood off her head. Raven was taken aback for a moment, and it almost seemed as if she would frown irritably. Instead, she let out a small giggle. Yes, a giggle. Though almost unnoticeable, there was no denying that it was a giggle coming from Raven.

"You don't need to hide anything Star," she said, smiling slightly. "We're friends, aren't we?" She gave Starfire a sly and warm expression, and Star remembered their conversation last night.

{"If you reveal your ailments to me...I shall...inform you of my own. Does this sound fair...?"}

Her own words from the previous evening echoed back. Of course! She'd forgotten to express her own fears to Raven. After a weak and embarrassed smile, she began to mumble her comments.

"You see, Raven, I...I have been having a very strange feeling as of late..." She realized her own mistake and corrected it. "I have been feeling this way for quite a period of time, actually...And I could no longer hide it...Therefore, I...I have asked Robin to partake in the ritual of 'dating.' We are to 'go out' this evening..."

Raven's face was shocked and joyed at the same time.

"...Wow," was all she could mutter at first. "Th-...That's great, Starfire," she said with a tone of happiness not common to her usual self. "I-I hope things go well...I always thought that would happen sooner or later..." she added slyly with a smirk.

"...It is...that obvious?" Starfire whispered in terror.

Raven chuckled casually, showing her teeth in a humorous grin.

"Yea...It's that obvious," she answered, holding back more laughs.

Starfire's face went beet red, and she looked away for a moment. After some hesitation, she asked Raven a question slowly.

"Raven...Do you wish to aid me in preparing for this occasion...?" She half- cringed with fear from the answer. She was really hoping that her good friend would be able to help her with this matter.

Raven noticed the worry and fear of rejection on Star's face. She really wanted to impress Robin. Although Raven believed that one shouldn't go out of their way just to impress someone to be liked, she realized that this was a date- impressing your partner was often have the fun.

She squinted her eyes and smiled. She answered, "Of course I would," in her raspy yet excited tone.

"OH! Can we help?" Tenoch cried in glee with a loud clap.

Tikal elbowed her and said, "I think it would be better if I helped YOU. Besides," she smiled at Star's blushing face. "I want Starfire's look to be a surprise."

Starfire giggled back, nodding.

"I can assure you that it will be," she squealed.

As the other three conversed about their plans, Raven zoned out. Her face lost its glow.

{They're all so happy...} she thought to herself. {They all have a boyfriend. I'll bet they must have a lot of fun. I just wish I knew what it was like...I feel so left out. Tonight they all get to go out with their 'guys', and I'll be alone. But I guess it makes sense...Why would they want to spend time with me, anyway, when they have that 'someone special'?...} She sighed inwardly, wishing that she had their beauty. Of course, Raven did not give herself enough credit. Her self-esteem was a wreck; it had been for the past while. She wasn't nearly as ugly as she thought she was- many a guy would find her attractive. But who cared? Even IF a guy thought she was pretty, what personality did they have to love? Just a...fake, dull, and depressing one...

{I have to get rid of it,} she declared to herself. {I can't expect to find good friendship or love if I have a wall set up that won't let them IN...}

"-something to eat?"

Raven snapped awake to realize she was in the kitchen, and Tay was attempting to whip up some food. She had been asked a question, but she hadn't quite caught it. She answered it with a blank look and silence, trying to get over the shock of having no recollection of getting to the kitchen.

"I'll take something to eat," Link announced as he entered the room with Cyborg.

"Count me in!" Cyborg agreed.

Tenochtitlan was flattered by their trust with her at the stove.

"Y-you actually want to let me cook?" she muttered in disbelief.

Link, who had been picking on her for the past long while, leaned up against the wall next to the stove and answered casually, "Why not? You're not half bad. Ya need some more work, yea, but ya won't get good if ya don't practice, right?"

"R-right!" Tay exclaimed eagerly. "Don't you worry, I won't let you down!"

Raven had found herself inching toward the opposite side of the room since the blonde had entered.

{...Agh! Why do I have to be such an idiot...?}

Raven suddenly felt her arm tense up in pain, out of nowhere. It locked up a bit, captured by hurt. She froze in shock and let out a cry, snatching it with her other arm.

The others gasped in surprise and rushed to her to see what was the matter.

"Raven!" Star whimpered with worry, noticing her clenched teeth. "Is it your arm...?"

Raven nodded quickly and squinted her eyes shut as another wave of pain surged up from her arm. It was a burning, but from the inside. An icy cold burning. The feeling you get when you're so cold it hurts. She couldn't move her arm out of her cloak to show it, it ached so.

Starfire immediately opened the cloak up, and let out a shriek of fright. The black 'bruise' on Raven's arm had grown to about twice its size since the previous night, spreading out. The center was even darker than it had been, and yet the skin itself didn't appear to be damaged in any way. Everyone around her gasped in horror at the sight of the injury, backing away slightly.

{Just perfect...Now I look even scarier than I did before,} Raven complained to herself, her body tensed up and rigid.

"W-we must find the others quickly!" Star exclaimed. "Surely Robin will know what to do!"

Cyborg stepped to Raven quickly, and motioned Link to help him out. As Starfire and the other girls ran off to find Robin, Cyborg began preparations on analyzing the wound.

"Yo, get her on the counter," he commanded, nodding his head toward the nearby island counter.

Link nodded solemnly, and inched toward Raven.

"Don't worry, Ray," Cyborg said calmly as Link wrapped his arms around her. "We're gonna figure out what's up, a'ight?"

Raven's eyes were shut tight in agony, and she cried out in pain as Link scooped her light body up off the floor. Link was a strong guy for his looks, and had little trouble lifting her up over the counter. Raven's eyes opened slowly, for she felt more relaxed with his arms around her. Her pain died down somewhat as she blankly gazed up at his serious face, though she was dazed. As Link gently set her down back first onto the cool, marble counter, Cyborg was pressing buttons on his arm and pulling out a long, thin cord from one of his fingers. At the end of the cord was a suction cup- like tip.

Raven tried to relax, but she was having trouble doing so, especially with Link hovering over her while she was sprawled out on this countertop.

"Thanks, man," Cyborg muttered to Link as he focused on attaching the suction pad to Raven's arm in the middle of the area where the dark spot had grown. "Damn," he murmured with worry, shaking his head slowly. "What happened...?" he asked quietly as his strong hands firmly stuck the pad in place.

Raven, her arm numb from the pain, groaned out her reply. A whimper carried through her words as well, which seemed very out-of-place for her.

"I-I don't know...It was fine before, I took care of it, but...-" She trailed off as water began to form in her eyes from the constant burning. Cyborg had to rip her free arm off of the injured one, and he commanded Link to pin it to the table beside her. She grunted and struggled slightly to remove the arm from its grasp, but to no avail.

Cyborg had a serious and thoughtful look about him as he waited patiently for his results to come in. After carefully inspecting the small screen on his arm, he shook his head in awe.

"I don't get it...I'm pickin' up some strange energy signature..." he muttered dubiously. "Whatever it is, it's no disease...And it ain't just a bruise, either..."

"What IS it, then?" Link questioned with worry as he held Raven's arm down, who had given up and seemed about ready to pass out. Cyborg nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

"No clue," was all he could say in response.

Robin burst into the room in a rush, and scrambled with the others to the table. They were all chattering to each other quietly as they all seemed to gaze down at her. She felt like a lab rat in a cage under their watchful eyes.

"You OK?" murmured Beastboy with shock.

"You don't look so good," Tay mumbled nervously, staring with worry at her injury.

"I'm...all right," she managed to groan out between clenched teeth.

"What's wrong with her?" Robin demanded with concern.

Cyborg gave a frightened expression as he answered honestly, "Beats me. I can't figure it out. I'm getting energy readings, but otherwise her arm seems fine..."

Robin's gaze shifted to his aching friend who was sprawled across the table, his masked eyes showing suspicion.

"Raven, what happened?" he asked calmly.

She huffed out air from her mouth and glared at the ceiling as dully as she could, the intense burning of her arm dying down so it wasn't unbearable.

"I'm not sure," she whimpered, squinting. "I can't think of anything...The laser, it...It wasn't a big deal, I took care of it..."

Robin nodded slowly, believing he had figured out a possible solution. He turned to Cyborg and gave out his hypothesis solemnly.

"You think that maybe that guy's lasers somehow did this?"

Cyborg shrugged as she slowly removed the data collector from Raven's arm, which caused her to flinch and suck in air between her teeth.

"About the only thing I can think of," the robot-human answered with a shrug. "That guy was from the future, right? Maybe he had the technology to do this kinda stuff..."

Starfire had glided slowly over to where Raven's head rested and gently massaged her friend's forehead, admiring the small jewel that was placed there.

"All is fine, friend. You will be well soon enough," she comforted the girl.

"I hope so," Raven grumbled, realizing that the pain was dying down gradually. She glanced down at her arm hopefully, but much to her dismay, the darkness had not receded a bit.

"Raven, you just sit tight," Robin advised as Cyborg lifted her up with ease in his powerful arms.

Raven nodded drearily, but she was losing conscience. Before she knew it, she was in the living room, her body laid down on the couch on its side. Her head was propped up on a small, velvety pillow. A soft cloth blanket of black was nestled around her, and she snuggled with it, embracing its fuzzy texture. Her cloak was draped over the couch's spine, but she couldn't see it, as her head was facing the outside of the furniture.

She paused for a moment, confused. Trying to figure out what had occurred, she was surprised to see one of her fellow Titans pace into the room quietly and carefully. At first, all she could see were two brown, smooth, bare feet with bracelets dangling the right one. She glanced up slowly to make out the mysterious outfit of Tenochtitlan, who was carefully carrying a ceramic bowl of thick tomato soup. As Tay gently set the soup down on the coffee table, she glanced over to see that Raven was awake. Her orange eyes turned into yellow as she gave Raven a friendly smile, pushing the hair that had fallen over her face back.

"You feeling any better...?" she inquired hopefully.

Raven slowly sat up, keeping the blanket wrapped around her. She would've felt bitter cold without it, though she couldn't determine why- it was perfectly warm in the room. She smelled the food's aroma, which made her salivate. She gazed into the soup in a bit of a daze and murmured softly, "Mm...I'm better...Thanks..."

Tay rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly as she gave out a piece of information.

"I hope you like the soup...I made it myself. I heard that tomato is your favorite."

Raven cracked a smile and nodded slowly. She brushed away the strands of her light-purple hair that had stuck to her face or been moved in her sleep. Her big, purple eyes glowed with appreciation up at Tay, who felt touched by them.

"Thanks, Tay..." she whispered shyly, her cheeks getting slightly pink for a second. They went back to normal as she immediately wondered where everyone else was.

"Something came up," Tenochtitlan explained. "So I volunteered to stay here and take care of you. They should be back pretty soon, it didn't seem too serious."

Raven's head bobbed up and down a little as her hand reached out for the metal spoon that had been placed beside her bowl. Her hand was trembling, and she didn't understand why. Noticing the blackness that had grown from within it, she quickly pulled it back in and sent out her right arm. She began to slurp up the thick, red liquid eagerly, giving in to her hunger. Tay chuckled heartily at the sight- Raven, hunched over a coffee table, a blanket around her, sucking down soup like an animal.

"Don't choke!" she giggled out, shaking her head. Raven swallowed her latest bite and grinned slightly.

{This isn't so bad,} she thought to herself peacefully. {I feel great...besides my arm, at least. Maybe Starfire was right; this seems to be working...}

++)(=)(++

Robin ran his hand through the crispy, singed grass carefully. A circle of blackened grass was all the hard evidence the Titans had been left with when they arrived on the scene in the city's park. The others searched frantically for clues all around Robin. Beastboy was inspecting nearby trees, Cyborg was scanning bushes littering the area, but not one spot of raw proof could be found except this patch of toasted vegetation.

Robin' perplexed face glanced up to see Starfire, who had just zipped up to him with news. As he gazed up at her, she paused, frozen in embarrassment. Red splotches formed on her cheeks, but she tried to be serious.

"Nearby witnesses report that they recollect the vision of an interplanetary transportation device flying overhead."

Robin nodded slowly, crumbling some of the burnt plant in his hand and letting it float down to the ground.

"A UFO, huh...? They weren't trying to attack, that's for sure. There was nothing here to attack...But was there no ONE...?"

Starfire shrugged slightly, puzzled.

"Tikal, Sonic," Robin called out, waving an arm to them. Sonic was at his side in a quick blur, while Tikal hurried to glide to him.

"Yes?"

"What's up?"

Robin tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"I want you to go to the police office and see if there's any reports of missing persons...This event happened not too long ago, but...There's no harm in checking..."

"You bet!"

"Of course."

}{{
}}{

24 hours had passed, and there was no sign of any kidnappings, amazingly enough. Robin had concluded, "Whatever they came here for, they got it," and decided to leave the matter at that. There were other crimes to worry about, after all.

It was about three o'clock in the afternoon now, and everyone had wandered off to do their own thing.

Starfire was eagerly preparing for her plans with Robin that evening, trying to avoid him at all costs. This way, he would be surprised.

She had been 'clinging' to Beastboy and Tenochtitlan for the past few hours, trying to see how they acted around each other. She was also asking for advice in little tidbits in their conversations. At the current moment, she was off getting changed into what she would later wear that evening, while Beastboy and Tay were hanging out in BB's bedroom.

"It's about TIME she left us alone," Beastboy sighed after a couple minutes of peaceful silence.

"Oh, B," Tay huffed, shaking her head slowly as she examined his sloppy dresser. "Don't say it like that...Star's such a sweet person, and she's been so good to me..."

Beastboy was staring at his ceiling from his bed thoughtfully, sprawled out on his back in a disorderly fashion.

"Sorry," he moaned apologetically. "I didn't-...Don't get me wrong, Star is awesome. It's just that I've been dying to get some time with you alone, ya know...?"

Tenochtitlan's eyes turned pink, but she didn't face her newly-found boyfriend. He WAS her boyfriend, wasn't he...? Well, maybe not OFFICIALLY, quite yet, but yes, he was...She was still observing the articles of clothing that were loosely hanging out of his drawers. She was trying to give his room a little more order, but not too much. She knew he liked his messiness. Just the other day, Tikal had arranged all of his horror movies in order of release date (she'd been a little bored) and Beastboy went insane.

{My movies!! They're...They're in ORDER?! How am I supposed to find anything?!}

"I know," she replied to him in a cheery whisper. "I've been looking forward to it, too, B. But we have other friends, you know. We can't just shut the rest of the world away..."

Beastboy continued to reflect peacefully, blissfully unaware that Tay was tidying things up slightly. As she picked up a pair of leopard-patterned boxers off the floor, she let out a giggle. Fortunately, Beastboy seemed too concerned with something else to worry about it. He merely shook his head and blushed.

"I can't wait to see you in THIS," she cried humorously, snickering.

"You're gonna have to earn it," Beastboy answered with a sneaky tone, grinning back up at the ceiling.

Breaking through their comical moment was a rapping at the door. It was rushed and slightly urgent.

"Hello?" Beastboy called out, slightly surprised.

"Beastboy?" It was Starfire. "Tenochtitlan? It is I, Starfire. I seek your opinion on an important matter. May I be permitted to enter?"

Tay saw Beastboy's expression wince, and she shook her head with a smile.

"Of course!" she sang out sweetly, sitting down on the bed beside Beastboy.

The door slid open quickly and shut as an angelic figure crossed into the room. She was very noticeable, with a dim pink dress of silk, though it had no intricate patterns upon it. Her flaming, shiny red hair cascaded down her shoulders as if usually did, and her green eyes glowed with excitement. Her dress had no sleeves, but she wore smooth satin gloves that ran up just past her elbows, their shade a bright pink. She wore elegant high-heels as red as her hair, as well, and she was surprisingly comfortable in them.

Beastboy's jaw had dropped in awe as he gazed at her from head to toe.

"...Am I...strange...?" Starfire questioned dubiously, confused about Beastboy's stare.

"Ga...N...N-no, not at all," he stumbled, rubbing his eyes to see if they were deceiving him. "Y-you look GREAT, Starfire!" he murmured in awe, impressed. Tenochtitlan smacked him on the back of the head swiftly, shooting him a sly grin.

"B-but you look great, too," Beastboy quickly added, defending himself from another blow. "VERY great..."

Starfire looked at herself with a lack of esteem. She wasn't sure if it was good enough. It was kind of plain...

"Yes, Star," Tay added cheerfully, pleased with her look. "You look very pretty, I'm sure Robin will be taken off his feet!"

Starfire smiled meekly, trying to picture the thought.

"Thank you, friends, for your opinion," she mumbled, her tan cheeks turning pink. "I hope Robin finds this as sufficient as you do..."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry, Star," Beastboy responded coolly, tossing an arm. "I mean, he's a teenage guy, and...Well...you're...-" He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly as he trailed off.

"You can say it," Tay whispered in his pointy ear.

Beastboy knew as well as Tay that Starfire could use an ego-boost, so he decided to admit it.

"Star, I think you're lookin' pretty hot, honestly..." He glanced away quickly, feeling far too embarrassed to look either girl in the face. He couldn't help his hormones! It's not like he was a lustful pig or anything...

Starfire's expression changed to a very confused one as she hovered an inch or so off the ground.

Tenochtitlan giggled and rubbed Beastboy's hair affectionately.

"I do not feel that my temperature has-"

"That's not what he means," Tay snickered, her eyes pink.

"...I do not understand," Starfire muttered, feeling like a complete idiot. This term seemed to be common knowledge, and she knew she had heard it before, but had never quite understood it. She often felt foolish to ask in the middle of a conversation what a phrase meant, pr to ask at all. Imagine going up to someone and asking them what that term meant- quite embarrassing, perhaps?

"It's OK," Tenoch said, calming down, but still beaming. "When someone says that, at least in the way he meant it...What he was saying is that you're very pretty. You're...attractive..." She rotated her hand, hoping Star would get the idea. After a moment of analysis, her eyes popped wide, and she gasped.

"...Attractive...?" she sheepishly squeaked. "When the hormones of the body- in this case, testosterone- arouse the reproductive organs-"

"ALL RIGHT, that's enough of that," Beastboy almost shrieked loudly, his voice trembling and scratched. "Never mind I said it, no big!"

Starfire paused and saw his nervous grin, and it made her smile. Did Robin think this? She could admit she felt the same about him...But it was far more than that, just as her friendship with Beastboy was far beyond the fact that he thought she had a pretty face.

"...Thank you, Beastboy," she said, bowing her head down slightly. With a giggle, she waved her hand to her two friends. "I apologize for bringing such an awkward situation upon you. If you do not mind, I shall take my leave and prepare for this evening..."

"You sure?" Tay asked with a slight sadness. "You don't have to leave so soon." Beastboy was wincing beside her, and Star could sense he felt degraded enough.

"No, I am fine, but many thanks for your offer...I know you wish to be alone, as I will be with Robin this evening." She smiled as brightly as she could, and floated gracefully out of the room, her mind stuck on what Beastboy had said.

_-_(*-*)_-_

Raven's eyes slowly scanned the hallway, making sure that no one had followed them. Starfire, still in her graceful attire, came soaring into the room ahead of her as she checked. The results satisfying, Raven stepped into her room, pressing he button that closed the metal door.

After a moment of silence, her curious purple eyes gazing at her friend's excited emerald ones, Raven spoke inquisitively.

"What is it...?"

Starfire was smiling sheepishly, and she had her arms behind her in an innocent pose.

"I-I was wondering if you could enlighten me regarding a few matters...?"

Raven lifted one of her brows slowly, and nodded toward her bed.

"Well, if we're going to talk, the least you could do is sit down," she announced quietly. Starfire nodded eagerly, and floated over to the bed, sitting herself on the black blankets carefully.

Raven, her cloak cast aside, gently sat herself down. Her arm was looking a little better than it had been earlier. She'd recovered fine, but was still feeling a little lethargic. A twinge of pain shot through head- brief, but it shook her. She grabbed her forehead in a moment of agony. After she opened her eyes, she realized that Star had her hand on her shoulder, checking to see she was all right.

"Raven? What is wrong?" Star demanded with concern.

"Nothing, just a little headache," Raven muttered with a deep breath as it melted away. After a pause, Star let her gloved arm drop to her side and asked another related question.

"Have you been ill all day?"

Raven shrugged, staring at the cold wooden floor.

"I guess you could say that," she admitted. "Whatever's wrong with me, it's been hurting all day, in waves. It comes and goes. Don't worry, I'll be fine." She gave a weak smile to her friend, who returned it.

"I know, Raven," she replied warmly. "You have friends to help you; of course you will be fine."

Another few seconds of tranquility passed, and Raven tried to focus on the point of their meeting.

"So...Why did you want to talk to me...?" she inquired with great curiosity.

Starfire blushed wildly, brushing off a few dust specks from her pink dress.

"You have not guessed?" she asked, a little surprised. Raven shook her head, puzzled.

"No idea."

Beaming, Star proceeded to explain.

"Yesterday, in the evening, I was able to arrange a meeting with Robin tonight. We are to spend our first date together."

Raven nodded calmly, as she could recall hearing about this that morning.

"But...Why are you here? What's wrong?"

Star paused with a slight nervousness, and answered, "You see, Raven, I do not wish to ruin my evening with Robin. I was wondering if you could lend me advice, perhaps...?"

A smile spread across Raven's face, and she felt touched that Star was seeking advice from her.

{She trusts me,} she realized. {She really looks up to me enough to ask me about this?}

Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment as she tried to think of something to say.

"If you do not wish to speak, I will understand..." Starfire said softly.

Raven shook her head quickly, her purple eyes darting to her friend.

"No, not at all. I'm just a little...surprised, is all."

Starfire shrugged and said, "I do not see why you should be surprised...After all, did you not say this morning that you would eagerly help me to prepare...?"

Raven muttered, "Mm...Yea, I remember now. It's just that...I've never BEEN on a date before, so...I don't see what I would know..."

Starfire gasped slightly, and whispered, "You have not ever 'gone out', as well? Ever?"

Raven shook her head slowly, her head bobbed.

Starfire smiled warmly and gave her a small hug.

"Do not feel ashamed, Raven. For you are not alone!"

Raven cracked a smile and returned the hug.

{This isn't so bad...} she thought. {Maybe Starfire is right about all of this, I really do feel a lot better.}

After their friendly embraced had been broken, Starfire went on to ask her questions.

"So, Raven...Could you possibly inform me of what actions I should or should not take...?"

"Well," Raven rolled her eyes with playful grin. "Like I said, I really don't think I'm an expert at all...But..." After a few seconds to think, she drew out more information. "Where are you two going...?"

Starfire's face went blank, as she hadn't quite figured that out yet.

"I see," Raven slyly said.

"I was hoping YOU would tell ME," Star admitted meekly.

"I'm not really sure. I can't quite say where Robin would want to go, you know? He doesn't strike me as the type of person to 'go out' at ALL..."

Starfire frowned with fright.

"He will not enjoy himself no matter where we travel?"

Raven sighed with a smile.

"I never said that. First of all, the main thing you should probably work on is calming down. The more hyperactive you are, the more tense you'll feel..."

Starfire nodded quickly, her eyes wide.

"I understand. I am just very excited, I have waited for this day to come for so long, I-"

Raven's index finger poked up before her friend's face, quieting her immediately.

"Um...Just so you know, that's NOT being calm..." she said with a small laugh.

"Starfire...I...-" She stumbled, unsure about whether or not to give out such information or not. As she gazed at Starfire's curious, caring, and loyal eyes, she decided there could be no harm in saying it.

"I know how excited you feel, Star. I've known for a long time. I've seen it in your eyes." She stared deeply at Star's emeralds and nodded slowly, her feelings confirmed. "I can see it right now..."

Starfire's face was red, and she smiled weakly.

"You really like him, and...You want nothing more than to be by his side..." Raven felt very confident in saying these things.

Starfire's head moved up and down in embarrassment.

"You are correct..." she whispered shyly.

"I understand how hard it might be to just...slow down, and take things one at a time..." Raven said with a slight shrug. "...I'm not saying you have to."

She let another warm, friendly smile meet Starfire's blushing face.

"But last night, you made me realize that it's better to do what ME tells me to do and not what OTHERS tell me to do...If your heart tells you to be open, excited, and happy, then...Do it...It's what makes you YOU, Star, and I, for one, wouldn't want it any other way..."

Starfire's eyes were glazed with realization as Raven's words blew through her like a breeze. Raven really WAS changing, and for the better, wasn't she? Maybe 'change' was a bad word. Raven was beginning to act the way she had felt the whole time. This was 'truly glorious,' and Star felt even happier than she had before.

"I thank you, Raven," she whispered merrily. "You inspire me to carry on. I agree. I will not worry about such foolish things as what others expect me to do. I will do what STARFIRE says I should do..."

Raven beamed as she felt the bond between her and Starfire grow. Starfire was no doubt her closest friend, and she felt that their relationship had grown ten fold within a month's time.

"Great," she declared. "Then you have nothing to worry about. So where are you going to go...?"

Starfire tapped her chin thoughtfully, her hands getting slightly sweaty within the soft gloves she wore.

"I believe we shall traverse to a ration-serving facility..."

"What kind?" Raven questioned, finding Star's phrasing humorous.

"...Um...A facility that serves...pasta confections...?" Starfire muttered doubtfully. "I feel I know of a place that has the ambient I desire..."

Raven nodded slowly. Italian restaurants were nice, sure...

"Then I wish for us to journey to the carnival near the bay...Yes, I have seen their Ferris wheel..." Star's eyes glowed with anticipation.

"You love Ferris wheels," Raven remembered aloud.

"Correct...Yes, I believe that will be sufficient enough for the evening..."

Raven's head was cocked to the side as she tried to imagine it. Not with Robin, of course...With Link...? Well...Maybe. That would be nice. But she felt she didn't quite know Link well enough to be able to picture such moments as vividly as Star could.

"That sounds pretty good," Raven said, still smiling. "You guys will have fun, no doubt."

Star nodded quickly, brushing one of her sideburns from her cheek with a dainty elegance.

Raven contemplated for a moment, and then proceed to make her request.

"Um...Could you...tell me about it...afterward?" she mumbled, very awkwardly.

Star was a bit surprised at first, but she bounced on the bed's cushions playfully, yelping, "I would be DELIGHTED, dear friend! Do not fear, I will not spare any details!" She floated up to her feet and squealed out with joy, "I must prepare! I am so very enthralled!"

She flew to the doorway and pressed the button that opened her exit. Raven began to scramble to her feet and catch up with her as she waved good-bye and called, "Many thanks to you, Raven!"

But just as she turned to leave, Raven reached out an arm, barely tapping Star's shoulder.

"Wait," she muttered, but with a slight desperation. Star spun around to see Raven's wide and pleading violet eyes.

"Raven...?"

Raven's cheeks turned pink, and she quickly scanned over Star's shoulders to see that the nearby halls were empty. She whispered out to her good friend nervously.

"I-I just wanted...A good-bye hug..." She looked ashamed to ask for such a thing, as if she felt she didn't deserve one. It was as if she thought one had to earn a hug, and she done nothing to earn it.

"...Of COURSE..." Starfire whispered back, a tear forming in her right eye. She let Raven's tired, trembling body lean against her.

{I have never seen Raven quite like this...} Starfire realized. {But I see the joy in her eyes...The same longing I have for love...She wants friendship. And I possess a boundless supply to give to her...}

"Thank you..." Raven barely managed, feeling that mutual support she craved.

"Raven..." Star quietly murmured, her eyes meeting Raven's arm. The black spot upon it was about half as big as it had been when she had arrived. "Your wound, it is healing..."

Raven blinked at it, still pink-faced, and shrugged it aside. She could care less, she felt wonderful.

"I...I must go now, Raven, please forgive-"

"It's all right, I want you to enjoy yourself. You have to get ready," Raven replied quickly, straightening Starfire's soft silk dress.

"You look great. Knock him dead..." she mumbled with a grin. Starfire's face radiated with excitement as she drifted off down the halls. There was still some time left.

=:_+-+-+_:=

[Destiny_Smasher]

"Aw, yea...You got NOTHIN', baby!"

Mario huffed back at Cyborg, flicking his controller with great precision. His eyes were determined and fierce. He wasn't about to lose just yet. And yet his demeanor was calm and collected.

About three seconds later, Cyborg's jaw dropped in amazement as his character was sent soaring into the air, only to be battered and bruised while falling in a spectacular combo attack that ended with a flashy finisher. The letters 'K.O.' were splattered across the screen as Mario tipped his hat.

"...Damn..." Cyborg murmured in awe. "You've NEVER touched a Gamestation before?!" he demanded, not able to believe it.

Mario shook his head coolly, placing the controller on the carper lazily. "Nope. The controller's not incredibly efficient, though. I like the Gamecube better..."

Cyborg let out a huge sigh as these words hit him. How was he so good so fast? As Mario slowly stood up and shifted his overalls, Cyborg asked, "Whoa, wait up. Another round, man?"

Mario shrugged casually, scratching his nose.

"Meh...Don't really feel like it. That game's too simple. Soul Calibur has more depth to it..."

Cyborg's eyes slowly wandered back to the game, which he went to switch off.

Robin was pacing in the back of the room, left and right. He had a nervous expression on his face, too, and he was dressed in a tuxedo. A black vest and pants, as well as a white shirt with a small black bow tie.

When Mario noticed this, he simply grinned and let out a chuckle. Cyborg's already baffled face, however, grew ever more confused and shocked.

"...Robin? What're YOU doing? What's with the get-up?" he asked, wide-eyed.

Robin jumped like a jack-rabbit and turned to his two friends puzzled faces.

"I-I'm just waiting..." he muttered with a sheepishness not usual to himself.

"...For what...?" Cyborg questioned fearfully, coming up to his side.

"W-well, it's just..." Robin scratched through his spiky hair nervously and grumbled out, "I have a date tonight..."

Cyborg looked flabbergasted for a moment, but it soon evolved into a devilish grin.

"With WHO...?" he asked slyly, elbowing Robin.

"...With...-" Robin stumbled, as he was still somewhat doubtful about this whole situation. "With Star..."

Cyborg's brow lifted up with amusement.

"REALLY?" he checked cheerfully. "No kiddin'?"

Robin nodded with embarrassment.

"She asked me out, and...I couldn't refuse her, ya know? It's not like-" He began to pace fretfully again.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. CHILL, bro!" he cried, stopping him dead with his huge hands. "You look like you're SCARED or something..." he noted humorously.

"I AM," Robin snapped back.

Mario and Cy exchanged baffled glances and turned back.

"Of WHAT?" Mario demanded slowly.

"I...I dunno. It just doesn't feel right..." Robin admitted. "I didn't really think about it when she asked me, I just said, 'Sure,' but now it just doesn't-"

"Robin, you're crazy, man," Cyborg laughed, rubbing his tense shoulders. "Sure, Star's a bit outta the ball park-"

"Try outta the planet," Robin broke in with a grumble.

"Well...Yea. So what?" Mario asked, his arms stretched out. "She's a real nice girl, Robin. She likes you a lot, or haven't you noticed?"

Robin sighed and groaned out, "I've tried to ignore that..."

"Why?!" Cybrog demanded. "What's so bad about it?"

Robin shook his head slowly, trying to put it into words.

"I have a responsibility, Cyborg. I can't just abandon my duties for a little fun. Besides, what if...-? What if that kind of relationship interferes with our job?"

Cyborg was a little confused, and he let his arms drop to his sides as Robin continued.

"Slade might still be after me. If he finds out about something like this, what do you think he's going to do?"

"...Kidnap Star and use her to get YOU," Cyborg admitted with worry, rubbing his chin.

"Besides," Robin added, his voice a little shaky. "I might...screw something up...I could get her mad, and maybe she won't talk to me or something..."

"What are you SMOKING, Rooster?" Mario snickered, giving the frowning Robin a punch on the arm.

"Teenage girls are unpredictable," Robin advised sternly. "At least in these kinds of situations..."

"Starfire isn't your average teenage girl, Rob," Cyborg tried to convince him. "She's not that stupid."

After another moment's contemplation, Robin let out a big sigh of relief and dropped the subject.

"You're right. I should just enjoy myself."

"There ya go!" Cyborg slammed him in the back so hard he fell over on his face. "...My bad," he muttered meekly.

(*{-})+({-}*)

"MAN, Rob, you worry too much!" Cyborg declared as he eased Robin down the hallway toward the main door. "Settle down, yo, it's no big..."

Robin sucked in a very deep breath, trying to calm his nerves.

"Dude, it's gonna be OKAY," Beastboy attempted to convince him, patting his left shoulder. "You're gonna have a BLAST, man!"

Tenochtitlan giggled as she messed around with Robin's hair from his right. "He's right, Robin! You'll be FINE, just RELAX..."

They reached the main hallway, which had a few chairs lined along the maroon carpet that ran through the middle. Starfire was standing beside Raven, far off near the door. He could see her waving to him, and it looked like she was dressed in fine clothing, as well.

The closer they got to the Tamaranian, the calmer and more comfortable Robin became. No words were spoken until they were face-to-face, smiling at each other with great embarrassment. Starfire, after avoiding his gaze for a moment, spoke out shyly.

"You are ready to depart...?"

After admiring her outfit, as well as her glowing green eyes, Robin gave her a smirk and reached out his hand.

"I'm always ready," he answered with his casual tone.

Starfire beamed with glee and accepted his bare hand with her gloved one. As they both waved their good-byes to their friends, Raven stuck out her palm, using her powers.

Robin hopped into the air, his eyes bulging, as a small, yellow device was extracted from a pocket within his tidy vest. The communicator was whisked away to Raven's hand, who glared at him devilishly.

"...Uh...Raven, I kinda need that," Robin mumbled, shaking slightly.

"No, you don't," she firmly responded, grasping it tightly. After he considered what to say, Robin began to spit out, "But what if-"

"We'll deal with it," Raven replied in her raspy tone, with a slight hint of threat. After letting out a small chuckle at Robin's frightened face, she bid them off with her hand. "Now go on. And you'd better enjoy yourselves..."

As Robin nervously turned to Starfire, the girl gave Raven a small smile that said, {Many thanks, friend.} Raven's violet eyes answered, {No problem.}

"W-well, uh...W-we'll be seeing you later," Robin stammered as he walked speedily out the door, dragging Starfire behind him. She floated through the air at a vertical angle as she was yanked out, and grinned a gigantic grin to her friends, waving with her free arm.

"Good evening, all!" she called to them.

The two Titans were given a flurry of encouragement and farewells as the enormous door slid shut with a 'whooshing' sound.

"You are BAD," Cyborg said slyly, giving her a grin. "You just shattered the little confidence the poor guy had..."

Raven returned his devilish look and nodded. "I know. He's going to have to earn it back."

~*-+[~]+-*~

The atmosphere was relaxed, warm, and inviting. Star had brought Robin to an Italian restaurant downtown. It was a very clean and tidy place, well kept, with excellent service and even better food. The candle light was a touch that Starfire liked very much- it gave the place a more romantic feeling.

They were waiting for their meal to arrive- the ice had yet to be broken thoroughly. The sheet of ice on the lake had been cracked by now, but not yet open. Starfire attempted to chip away at it some more.

"Robin...Did the waiter strike you as...familiar...?" she asked shyly, trying to catch his gaze.

Robin was nervously glancing about, feeling uneasy.

"Nah, just seemed like every other waiter around here to me..." he muttered, looking around the room at random people eating their pasta. Starfire frowned, displeased with the fact that things were not going as well as she had hoped.

"Robin..." she called quietly, but with a firmer tone. He picked up on the slight tint of irritability in her voice, so he looked at her.

"What is troubling you?" she asked, her sharpness dulled. "Are you...not enjoying yourself...?" Her voice had turned soft and curious.

"No, Star," he told her calmly. "I'm fine...Just a little anxious, I don't know..."

Starfire fiddled with her hands for a moment, then told him, "There is no reason for you to be afraid, Robin..."

Robin cracked a small and short-lived smile, nodding.

"I just don't like sitting here with all these people around..." he admitted, feeling foolish. Starfire weakly grinned.

"I understand...I believe you will enjoy our next location. But I have not consumed sufficient rations today, forgive me."

Robin shook his head and chuckled.

"Don't worry. It's fine here. I'm just more of a loner."

"I know this. I was merely hoping that we could...fit in better..." She felt a little silly when she said it aloud. She was always trying to fit in, and yet she wasn't. She wanted to fit in, but...She wanted to be herself. Obviously, both were not possible. But 'herself' had said that this place was nice, and worth their time. Maybe she had been wrong. She sipped at her root beer through a straw, her throat dry.

The waiter came back with two dishes of food and placed them with care before each of them. He was a tall, thin teenager with radiant blue eyes. He had the classic Italian mustache, as well- two thin lines that curved outward. For his age, his mustache was a bit surprising. He wore a comfy, white outfit with a name tag that read, 'Luigi.' Something about him seemed familiar, but Star didn't care to address it- she was too concerned about her date to worry.

Their meal was a very quiet and odd one. The most quiet they'd had in quite some time...It reminded Star of the night when Robin's cover as the Red X had been blown. No one had said a word at dinner, they were all silent, just as they were tonight. Whenever Starfire spoke up, Robin somehow managed to end the conversation pretty quickly. Star wasn't going to give up, though. She was determined to find out what was going on later on, when they were alone.

$-*)(*-$

Side by side they slowly strolled along down the sidewalks in the dark, their paths lit by various lampposts and the light that filtered out through windows. They were a mere inch or two apart, but they didn't touch, and they were not hand-in-hand as Star desired. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to just grab his hand or not.

{What if such an action is not customary? Perhaps holding hands is not permitted on one's first date...I should've asked Raven about these matters. Now I am confused as to what I am allowed to do or not...}

What Star didn't quite realize was how silly she would've have sounded to herself. She was so concerned with the traditions of Earthlings that she wasn't doing what 'Star' told her to do. 'Star' wanted to wrap an arm around his shoulder and another in his hand and soar through the dark blue skies. But this, she felt, would no doubt make Robin very uncomfortable.

The loud rumbling of thunder shattered her worries as she realized that the sky was now thick with black clouds.

{This is NOT very glorious,} she whimpered in her mind. Rain would not do quite yet. She still had to take Robin the Ferris wheel!

"I certainly hope the precipitation refrains from falling for at least a decent portion of time," she wished aloud. Breaking the ice was much harder than she thought when Robin was in his 'dark' kind of mood. Robin shrugged, still not looking up at her.

"It's just rain, Star. Where are we going, anyway?" He finally turned to see her face, trying his best to be casual.

"I am keeping that a secret until we arrive, but I am sure you will be most pleased," she answered with an eager smile.

"Ah, I see," he responded coolly.

An impulse had been driving her mad since they had started walking intensified. That impulse that wanted to hold his hand. Starfire looked around, noticing that they were nearing the carnival. A few people dotted the pier, as it was a bit late, but there was still a decent amount of people. Her tan face reddening, Starfire gave in to that instinctive impulse. She moved her right arm- the one closest to him- quite slowly and carefully. It managed to reach Robin's left arm, and it wrapped itself around that arm. The hand crawled down his tuxedo sleeve, reached a white cuff, and finally arrived at his bare hand. Upon reaching its destination, her hand gently squeezed his.

Robin didn't jump in surprise, however. He wasn't quite expecting it, but it somehow didn't come as a shock. A pleasant shock, at least.

Starfire noticed that Robin stared at their interlocked hands for a second in slight confusion, and she bit her lip.

"A-am I not doing this correctly?" she squeaked, loosening her grip.

Robin's face flicked back up to hers, and he let out a small snicker.

"No, Star," he answered with a smile. "You're doing just fine..." He shook his head humorously and he let out a sigh.

"Truly?" Star checked, unsettled by his laughing. "Am I not supposed to...do something with my other hand...? This is adequate?"

In response to this comment, Robin decided to take advantage of her clueless ness yet...teach her at the time.

"Here," he said, unlatching their arms. He gave her a sly grin as he wrapped his left arm around her waist, resting his hand on her left hip. Starfire's eyes widened, and she smiled sheepishly. "Now you do that to me," Robin suggested calmly.

Starfire hesitantly squirmed her slender, gentle arm around Robin, placing it in the same area. She was shaking a bit, as she was now the one in the nervous position. She could feel a little sweat developing in her long gloves- a problem she grew a bit accustomed to, as she usually wore such articles.

Robin tugged her in just enough so their hips touched. Their faces were both pink, their insides tingled.

"Th-this is natural...?" Starfire whispered nervously, hoping no one around them noticed how silly they looked. "We are...touching at the hips. It is all right for such appendages to be located so close to the pelvic region?"

Robin couldn't hold back a laugh as he asked her, "What, it's not adequate enough?"

Starfire shook her head quickly with a very embarrassed smile and brushed a sideburn back to its usual spot.

"No, no, Robin! N-not at all! This is...VERY sufficient!"

With a devilish smirk, Robin added, "Thought so."

They began to walk along, adjusting slightly to maximize their comfort, when Robin popped a curiosity question.

"Sooo...How would we do this back on your home...?"

Star's head shrunk into her shoulders slightly as she reluctantly broke free from their interlocked state to switch it to a different form.

"Hm...If we were acquaintances as we are tonight- a pair of...romancers...- " She rubbed the back of her neck meekly as she continued. "We would...-" Now she had to recall the term she was looking for. "We would 'go out on the town' in a manner such as this..."

Star proceeded to hang her right arm around Robin's shoulder in a very gentle manner, and told him to do the same to her. She went on to carefully rest her head on his firm left shoulder, snuggling a little to get it to feel just right. Her shiny, blood red hair draped over Robin's back, tingling his spine almost. Lastly, she placed her left hand on his chest, as if it were a fragile flower. Robin's guts were churning from close contact such as this- something he wasn't quite used to. Of course, he couldn't deny that it was quite comfy.

Starfire reached out and snatched Robin's free arm and pinned in to his chest, holding it in place with her own.

"...Yes...I believe this is correct..."

"Feels correct to me," Robin said coolly, lifting his brows up and down a little.

"Of course," Star added, "We would gracefully soar toward our destination, but...You are incapable of flight, thus we would not be able to sustain such positioning..."

She separated herself from him for a moment, brushing off her dress and straightening her hair. Her face flushed as red as her hair, she said to him, "I do not wish to be given strange looks, however, so we should probably proceed in the manner you suggested."

Robin tried to straighten up his own hair- at least as much as he could.

"Whatever suits you, Star," he muttered, preparing to head off again, passing a young man on a park bench who was staring at them in surprise and amusement.

*({[+]})*

Cyborg was flicking at his gaming controller madly, while Raven went to sit next to him on the sofa, sipping herbal tea.

"How can you DRINK that stuff?" Cyborg asked with disgust, shaking his head slowly.

"I manage," she answered calmly, placing her teacup on the coffee table before her. "How can you waste precious hours of your life rotting your brain like that?" she sharply struck back.

"I manage!" the robotic teen chuckled.

Raven took the old book that she had carried with her and cracked it open, beginning to delve into this new work of literature she had recently come across. Raven had so many books that she passed her evenings reading any she had yet to finish- she still had a good fifty or so to go. But this one caught her eye. It had been hidden behind the bookcase, as it had somehow slipped from its spot.

"So, whatcha readin' about, Ray? I'm sure it's much more interesting than blasting the hell outta zombies with a magnum..."

Raven frowned bitterly at his sarcasm and decided to give him a few details.

"If you must know...I'm really not entirely sure what it's about. It's written in a dialect I've never seen before. All I have to go by are these strange drawings..."

She stared at one in particular as her curiosity tried to figure out what was going on. A very large, worm-like creature with a beak-like mouth was terrorizing a city, from what she could gather.

"WOOOWWWW," Cyborg shouted dully. "A bunch of junk ya can't even understand. So tell me again, what good is it?"

"It's very old and valuable!" she snapped, taking another sip. "Someone's gotta know what these markings mean..."

Sonic came whizzing into the room, dragging Tikal at a vertical angle behind him, who was giggling with glee. They flew through the room like a bolt of lightning, and Raven's hair was whipped into her face, which prompted an agitated frown. The least they could do is run around like maniacs OUTSIDE of the tower...And then, quite suddenly, her vision flashed with darkness, revealing Tikal staring at the very book in her hands thoughtfully. It skipped back to normal, leaving her breathless for a moment.

Cyborg noticed her gasp, and her body tense up for a moment. He was worried that perhaps her arm was giving her trouble, and quickly checked.

"Ray? You all right?"

Raven realized it had only been a vision and nodded, slightly dazed.

"I'm...I'm fine..." she answered quietly, closing her book and carefully setting it down on the table. She scooped up her warm, fragrant tea and began to drink once again.

Feeling assured that it was no big deal, Cyborg went back to his game.

Raven watched him dully for a minute or two, then asked, out of nowhere, "Soooo...Why, exactly, are you blowing heads off of the undead...?"

"'Cuz I can," Cyborg replied with a huge grin.

"...Right..."

The ground began to tremble slightly, and that trembling gradually grew to a small earthquake.

Wide-eyed, Raven and Cyborg turned around to see a green rhinoceros pounding through the room at breakneck speed. Tenochtitlan was riding on its back, wearing a HUGE smile and screaming with excitement. The rumbling caused Raven to drop her tea, which spilt all over her legs. The cup shattered on the floor in front of the frightened girl. The noise died down as quickly as it had grown, and Raven sat with grit teeth. One could swear that a blood vessel bulged out of her forehead for a moment or two. But she took a deep breath, tried to relax herself, and stood up slowly, relatively calm. Cyborg was amazed at such a display- not the rhino, but Raven.

As she proceeded to clean up the mess, picking up pieces of ceramic with care, she sighed.

"I'll be back in a second; make sure nobody touches my book, all right?"

Cyborg nodded, a puzzled look about him.

"Gotcha," he murmured.

)))-(((

"Third one this month," Raven grumbled as she bid her broken tea cup farewell, tossing it into the garbage can. She grabbed the paper towels and dried her legs off.

She took them with her to clean up the tea that had been splashed to the carpet- not her idea of fun.

{They were just playing around, though,} she realized. {It's not really a big deal...There's no point in getting upset over it. Unless a fifty dollar teacup is really that big a deal...}

As she stepped through the dark halls toward the living room, she could hear voices echo. It was Mario and Link, talking to each other. She couldn't help but overhear their conversation as she walked.

"She's a blonde?"

"Oh, yea. Blonde, blue eyes...Peach was her name...Er...IS her name. Peach Toadstool."

"Peach? Pfht. That's kind of a stupid name."

"It fits her," Mario responded confidently. "What about you...?"

"Meh...To be honest, I don't really remember...I mean, I see a LOT of faces, but I couldn't tell you if I was going out with any of them. I DO remember Zelda, though. Yea...Same as your girl- blonde hair, blue eyes...But, she has...pointy ears..."

"...Pointy ears, ya say?" Mario asked, quite amused. "Elves, or something...?"

"I dunno, I guess. But I remember her very clearly. It was because of HER that all my problems got started. If it wasn't for her, I'd have had a much easier time, I can tell you that."

Who was Zelda? Whoever she was, she thankfully sounded like someone who had gotten on Link's nerves.

Mario and Link's eyes popped wide for a split second as a shadowy figure crossed right by them in the dark hallways.

"Whoa, Ray, is that you?" Mario asked as she hurriedly stumbled along.

"Hi," she moaned, her insides jittery.

"Where are ya goin' in such a hurry?" Link asked as she gradually vanished. There was no reply, and Link and Mario simply exchanged confused glances.

|~+~)\_/(~+~|

As Raven took her seat again, she felt a bit groggy. It wasn't really that late- at least not on her terms- and this struck her as a bit odd.

"Oh, Ray!" Cyborg cried in fake desperation, on his knees. "I'm so glad you're here! I was fightin' off ninja warriors and robot commandos that were after your infinitely valuable book! Oh, it was HORRIBLE!"

Raven sat cross-legged on the couch, holding the hardcover in her lap. She stared at Cyborg dully, with that usual look. Cyborg awaited her reply, and was blown away by it. She laughed. Not too heartily, but he KNEW she laughed.

She covered her mouth with her hand to hold it back, but a chortle came out. Small, quiet, but definitely existent.

Cyborg couldn't get off his knees, as he was in shock. The tiny smile on Raven's face diminished.

{Uh oh,} she thought.

"Uhh..." she began with that light raspiness she had. "Is something wrong, Cyborg...?"

Cyborg, still recovering, got to his feet and asked with some confusion, "I should be askin' YOU that..."

Her eyes showing worry, Raven stammered, "Wh...What do you mean...? I feel fine..."

Raven's good robotic pal sat down on the couch next to her, spreading his arms over the spine casually.

"You sure, Ray? You're lookin' a little pale...Well, more than usual," he joked.

Raven cracked another small smile at his humor, causing him to sit up straight and point at her.

"Ya did it again," he murmured in awe.

"...D-did what...?"

"...You smiled..." Cyborg said slyly, wiggling his index finger. "And that sure as hell ain't business as usual."

Raven's eyes wandered a little as she realized that he was right.

"You have been actin' a little weirder than normal lately..." Cyborg noted suspiciously. "Is anything up? Does it have anything to do with your arm or somethin'?"

Raven paused as she stared at the black spot on her arm. It had grown since her talk with Starfire, but only by a little. She couldn't really feel it- and she wasn't complaining.

"Well..." she began shyly. "It's...Lots of things...I'm just...-" She trailed off, feeling a question burning into her mind that needed answering.

"Cyborg...You said I've been acting weird." He nodded solemnly in reply. "...Did you mean a BAD kind of weird...?"

Cocking a brow, Cyborg stumbled for an answer.

"Wh...I don't...Ray, what're you gettin' at?"

"Just answer the question," she demanded firmly- yet with a slight desperation.

"A-all right, okay...Naw, Ray. See, that's the thing. You've been actin' weird, because...You talk a little more, you..." He rotated his arm at her, trying to phrase his thoughts.

"Like just now. I made a joke, and instead of giving me some smart remark...you laughed. Last time I checked, Ray, you don't DO that..."

Raven wasn't looking at him now, she felt too uncomfortable with this conversation. Cyborg wasn't Starfire, and Raven felt he wouldn't understand. He wasn't from another world, he could control his own powers, and he wasn't as sensitive and...Whatever it was that made Star STAR. Obviously, Cyborg and Starfire weren't the same.

"Let's just say things have been changing a bit lately," she mumbled.

"Like what...? Is it serious?"

"...It's...-" {Of COURSE it's serious...} "It's nothing you need to worry about."

Cyborg's human eye dug deep into Raven's wide, violet ones.

"Ray, we've ALL been a bit worried. You sure nothin's wrong? You can tell me what's up, you know."

Raven sighed, rubbing her forehead with her right arm. A small headache had developed, but it didn't hurt too much.

"I've just been...Feeling weird lately, to be honest. So I guess it's no wonder I might be acting weird..."

"Really?" Cyborg murmured back sarcastically. "Couldn't tell."

Raven let out a small huff through her nose and continued.

"I've been talking to Star a lot lately, and she's been...helping me realize a few things about myself. I'm beginning to have more control over my powers, and...I'm just changing a little...Is that okay?" Her last sentence had a bit more bite than the rest.

Cyborg smiled and gave her a hearty pat on the back, trying not to be too rough. He gave her a big grin, squinting merrily.

"Ray, that's great. I think you're changing for the better. Just don't get TOO different on me, will ya?"

Raven smiled back, massaging her injured arm gently.

"Don't worry," she assured. A few moments of tranquility passed as Cyborg reached over for the remote and clicked the television on, checking the TV schedule.

"So," he began casually. "Would all this have anything to do with Link?" He lifted his brows her way, smirking.

Raven's eyes bulged open with shock, her cheeks went pink, and a few drops of sweat formed on her neck. A velvet pillow that was resting behind her was shrouded in shadow, only to explode into a feathery cloud that drifted to the floor.

"Thought so," Cyborg confirmed to himself, his eyes still glued to the TV.

"...I guess it's kinda obvious, then..." Raven muttered, wondering what everyone thought of it if it was, indeed, so clear.

"If it wasn't for the fact that stuff spontaneously explodes when you and him are in the same room, I might not be so sure," Cyborg explained, holding back a snicker.

"...It's not big deal," Raven defended. "It's not like I LIKE him or anything..."

Cyborg's jaw fell a bit as he creaked his head in her direction.

"W-well, I mean...Yea, it's a little crush," Raven admitted quietly, her face alert to see that no one else was present. "But I hardly know him, really..."

"Yea, and he knows you even LESS," Cyborg added. "Ya think maybe it's 'cuz ya AVOID 'im all the time?"

"...That...might be it," Raven admitted.

"I already KNOW he doesn't like ME," Raven mumbled, staring down at her book solemnly. "So there's no point...He already has a girlfriend..."

Cyborg gave her a suspicious look.

"And how, exactly, do you know that?"

Raven bit her lip, not looking up at him.

"...I guess I don't..." Her words were barely audible, but Cyborg caught them.

"Riiiight...Did ya ever ASK him?"

"...No..." She looked up at him and explained herself quickly. "But I wouldn't be surprised. I doubt the only girls he's met live in this tower, Cyborg. He probably has a girlfriend from home...WHEREVER he lives..."

Cyborg shrugged, shaking his head. "Well...Maybe..."

"Besides, it's like everyone here is going out with each other as it IS...I don't want to make things even more hectic..."

Cyborg chuckled, nodding his head.

"Even Starfire and ROBIN are out on a date," Raven pointed out. "And Robin doesn't strike me as the type of person to DO dating..."

"Naw kiddin'!" Cyborg agreed, his brows lifted. "But they're havin' fun, I'll bet. You're right, though. It's like you and me are the only ones in this tower who aren't datin' anybody..."

After a moment to absorb this thought, the two Titans glanced at each other with creeped-out faces and skidded across the couch slightly in opposite directions.

"...You don't-?" Cyborg started, trembling.

"No," Raven spat. "...And you-?"

"'Course not," Cyborg answered quickly.

After a sigh of relief, Raven cracked open her book again.

"This is getting a little ridiculous," she grumbled. "Is it really such a good idea for all of this...'in-dating' stuff...? We have enough to worry about, right?"

Cyborg grinned slyly, his eyes back on the TV.

"Why don't I go get Link, and you can ask him that yourself...?"

Raven frowned, and the remote flew from Cyborg's hands into the TV set, knocking the batteries out. As it clattered to the floor, Cyborg stretched out his arm to punch Raven in the shoulder.

With an "Ulp!" Raven flew off the couch's left arm and smacked into the ground, her legs dangling above her on the sofa.

"...You're going to regret having done that," she growled with a mixed tone of friendly competition and irritability.

*!(-)!*

The city lights to their right sparkled like the stars above. The skies were clear and dark, opening up a window to the rest of the galaxy.

The air was a bit chilled from the breezes that blew in once in a while, and whenever one did, it gave Starfire goose bumps on her arms. If it weren't for the fact that Robin was seated mere inches to her right, she'd be shivering. To their left was the glittering surface of the bay- the glorious bridge, and Titan Tower. And then, the wondrous sites of their city grew tall and surpassed them as the Ferris wheel they were boarded on continued its rotation. As they passed by the ground and rose up again, Starfire, once again, began a conversation. This was it- the last part of their evening. She wanted to at least get something across to him.

"I wonder how our friends are doing..." she murmured thoughtfully, gazing off at the tower.

"They're fine," Robin assured, seeing that the lights on one floor of the tower were switched on. They were at the top most floor. After putting more thinking into the matter, Robin reconsidered.

"Actually..." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "They might've burned something down by now...Maybe we should go back and check on them..."

Starfire smiled as she turned to look at his joking face, and shook her head.

"Raven would be angry if we did that," she informed. "She seemed intent on making sure our evening would not be interrupted."

"No kidding," Robin grimly agreed. "...By the way, Star...About Raven- what's going on?"

Starfire's smile went away, and she seemed reluctant to speak about it. Raven might not feel comfortable if she told Robin too much.

"Raven is...She is fine. I believe she is feeling better than she has in quite some period of time. That is, if you ignore her injury...Raven is simply changing a bit, as all people do."

Robin lifted a brow at her, a bit baffled, but shrugged it off.

"If you say so," he mumbled. "As long as everything's OK..."

There was another moment of peace between them, and Starfire was intent on not letting the conversation slip away just yet.

"Um, Robin," she called softly, placing a hand on leg.

"...Star...?" He got a little nervous, as he wasn't all too sure as to where this was going.

"I am curious...Why did you accept my offer...? To come with me tonight...?" Her emerald eyes were glazed, and Robin got lost in them for a moment.

"...How could I refuse?" he came back. Starfire sighed, her eyes drifting to the sights around them.

"I wish to know if you feel the same way that I do..." she murmured, her voice trembling, but just a little. Robin was DEFINITELY nervous now, and he was shaking slightly. Starfire felt it as his hand landed on hers, and this made her feel awkward, as well.

"...I-if I am making you feel discomforted, you do not have to-"

"No, Star, you're right," Robin answered solemnly, rubbing Starfire's wrist with his thumb. He shifted himself a bit, and turned to face his friend. He looked a little ashamed, and Starfire felt that her guts had been emptied.

"I'm just not really the type of guy who likes to...go out on dates, or...anything like that. To be honest, I've had so much on my mind lately that this shouldn't be dumped on top of it..."

Star could sense what was going on, and she didn't want to face it. She could feel her eyes welling up with tears as he went on.

"I don't KNOW how I feel right now, Star...It's not so simple for me. You...You're STARFIRE." He smiled weakly. "And you have no idea how much I value your friendship..."

Starfire gave him the same smile in return and nodded.

"I believe I know fully well..." she whispered shakily.

"You're just...-Starfire, I'm not lying when I say that I think you're more courageous than any of us..."

Starfire was taken aback by such a statement, but before she said anything, Robin explained.

"You aren't afraid of what other people think about you." He saw that Starfire was shaking her head in doubt. "Well...Sure you are, but I would guess ANYONE would be if they moved to another planet...What I mean is that you aren't afraid to be YOU. You're honest...open-hearted...You're the most passionate person I've ever met, Starfire," Robin admitted, getting sentimental himself. "If it weren't for you, who knows where the Titans would be right now. You hold us together..."

"Because you are my friends," Starfire said, as if it were blatantly obvious. "I would never abandon you..."

Robin nodded slowly. "I know, Star. But...Not everyone's like that...You'd be surprised at how easily you can lose people, even people you never thought you'd lose..."

Starfire was speechless for a moment as she tried to comprehend what he meant.

"I'll get to the point," Robin grumbled. After a deep breath, he calmly went on. "Starfire...I'm not entirely sure how you feel about me, but...I think I have the general idea, and...I just don't know...I didn't think us going out on a simple date would be such a big deal, but it IS- for me, at least. I just don't feel entirely right."

"...I have made you feel awkward," Starfire whispered in realization. "I...I did not mean to, Robin. I thought...-"

"Star, it's not YOU," Robin boldly announced, sighing. "It's me. You KNOW where you want to go. You KNOW how you feel...But I'm not sure yet."

"Robin," Starfire said firmly, gripping his arm with the same caring firmness as her voice.

"It is all right...You do not need to rush yourself, Robin. If you do not give yourself time to make good decisions, then you may regret those you make...I have had plenty of time to decide what I want to do...I only know how I feel because I have been given so much time to decide."

She swallowed as a tear slowly slithered down her tan cheek.

"Robin, you are my best friend...I will do anything to hold onto that..." The strength in her voice was slowly diminishing as she went on, dying to a whisper as she finished. "Yes, Robin...I have developed emotions for you that go...beyond a friendship. But if you do not feel the same way, that will not change how much I value your companionship. I will never leave your side, Robin...Not now, and not ever...I promise..." She'd captured him in her arms and embraced him warmly, leaving him stunned. This was a big deal for HER, too.

Robin was left speechless at her words. He knew that he could depend on Star, but he never really realized that she cared about him THIS much, and it meant a lot to him.

"...Star..." was about the most he could say for a while, until he decided to melt into the hug with her. After an uncounted period of time- not too long, but not too short, Robin finally managed some words out.

"...I didn't say I didn't want to...date you...or anything like that...I'm just not sure, you have to give me some time..." Robin furrowed his brows as she broke up the hug, sifting her hair out so it was straight again. Robin hesitantly asked a question.

"...How do you feel about me...? C-could you...explain it...a little more...?" Robin didn't know quite how stupid he sounded. He felt that if Starfire described her feelings in more depth, he could determine for himself if he shared them.

Starfire was wiping a few small tears away from her face, and she choked a laugh.

"...I believe I have explained very thoroughly," she mumbled. "But...I think I can demonstrate..." She smiled with a slyness that wasn't quite what Robin was used to as she leaned toward him. Robin knew exactly what she was about to do, and he was almost afraid. And yet, at the same time, another part of him had absolutely no problem at all...

Starfire tipped her head to the side as she opened her lips to catch his within them. About a second or two passed as they kissed, and Robin couldn't deny that it was pleasurable. Her warm breath, her soft lips- absolutely fine. He was certainly shocked, however, when a slender and wet object slithered its way into his mouth, flicked at his tongue, and escaped as quickly as it had come. It wasn't...bad...It was perfectly fine, just...surprising...No sooner after that did Starfire remove her mouth from his, her face blushing wildly.

Left awestruck, Robin coughed out, "Eh hem, yea...That was...quite a demonstration, all right..."

Starfire wasn't sure if what she had done was 'acceptable,' but Robin DID say he admired the fact that she tried to be herself amidst the crowd. When she first arrived on Earth, Star had wanted so badly to blend in with the people of the planet. Once she started to hang around the Titans, she began to realize that around her friends, she was appreciated for who she was- not what she should be.

"...You understand...?" she asked in a murmur. Robin rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Uhh...I think so...What was...with the tongue thing...?" he questioned. He knew of French kissing, but her tongue had lashed at his like a whip...Kind of odd, he thought. Starfire's face went pale as she caught that sheer fright in his demeanor.

{I have once again made him feel awkward,} she realized.

"Ih...I-is such an action considered strange?" she questioned shakily, unsure herself. She'd seen Earthlings kiss, but...One could never tell what they were doing with their tongues.

Robin shrugged, smiling meekly. "That depends on who you ask, but...It's usually not something you do on a first date...It implies...uh...a strong sexual attraction..."

Starfire shook her head slightly in frustration, feeling more embarrassed than she had all night. It seemed she HAD screwed up again.

"I-it's not like it was BAD, just kind of a surprise," Robin added shyly.

"...On Tamaran, such an action is not looked at with the same sexual implicities it might have here on Earth. It is truly more of an emotional symbol. It is a way of saying what I have already told you, only without words..."

Robin wasn't so sure what those words were.

"...I will never leave you side...I care for you in a fashion beyond friendship...Though-" she whispered with great embarrassment, "-that is not to say there is no sexual attraction..."

Robin ran his hands through his hair shakily as he sucked in a long breath.

"I see..." he muttered. "...Starfire, this is...This is going a bit too fast for me...I'm kinda confused, I'll admit. Just give me some time to figure all of this out, all right?"

Starfire nodded slowly, giving him a hesitant smile.

"...I...I understand...It is your choice, Robin, not mine...But do not feel afraid to tell me the truth, for it will not sway me..."

[starburn1116]

YES!
YESYESYES!!!
she kissed him!!
i loved it
i was on the edge of my seat the WHOLE time
the scene i LOVED:
THE KISS THE KISS THE KISS
and i also loved the scene with raven and cyborg
i think the change in raven is just right
not too fast and not too short
please give me MORE!!!!!!!!!!

[raven54]

i absolutely love the change you're making in Raven! specifically... all scenes. the part with bb and tenoch and star was HILARIOUS! i was laughing, like, forever. And THE KISS was great:D. what will Robin decide??? Rae+Link, maybe?? or even a Rae+Cy?? I WANNA KNOW!!!!! *sob*

and that thing i wrote before... sorry i posted something and tried to code it so you can't read it unless you highlight it but it didn't work. it might be common knowledge but i wasn't sure... but whatever, you can find it on almost anywhere- common rumor.

[oneeyemonkeypie]

OK. i take back anything I ever said bad about you, I LOVE THIS FIC!

IT"S AMAZING!
I like the fact that even though you introduced new characters, you still develop the old ones too. Its great. Bring on CH. 10. And this thing is just a side story, your real fic must be HUGE. like 50,000 words at least. WOW!
I'm gonna literally drop a deuce when you link us to it.
also, how long will we have to wait for Robin to decide yay or nay on a relationship with star. like a few chapters, or will he never decide.

OK, enough compliments. All you ever seem to do is post on this thread. Go review my fics too now. One of em is in my sig, and the other is called "the raven flocks alone." Join the fun!

once again, GREAT chapter.

[raven54]

reid's right it IS fun. he's a good writer too so i think you'd enjoy it. and L.W.'s fics. And P.C.'s fics. And Crowgirl's, and rrarbecy's, and starburn's, and Rae's, and panda22's, and ..... :D

[Destiny_Smasher]

Well...I see we got some feedback during the weekend...This is good.

This means you guys will get Chapter 10.

Um...But before that...

---
"as long as you can read from one point continuously to another and progress chronologically, then it's all good."
---

I'm not entirely sure what you mean...No, the fics are not all chronologically placed- that is, one fic does not take place after another. On the contrary- they all take place at the same time, but from different characters points of view. Quest for Destiny! is the core of it all, and it includes EVERYONE at some point or another.

Winds of Fate is a subdivision of Quest for Destiny!- all of the Winds of Fate stories take place during the same course of time and all end in the same place- leading right into Q4D!.

---
"as to the hints
umm...
i remember those things from the t.v. show
is that it?
please don't be angry with me
maybe i'll get it tomorrow"
---

Um...Why would I be angry...?

Oh, well, then again...On another site I DO deal with morons who sometimes don't get the most obvious things when I throw it out there...

By the end of Chapter 10 it should be painfully clear that, yes, they are LIKE the episodes in Season 2. This fic starts right after 'Season 1,' so to say. But, in case you haven't realized, things aren't happening the same. This is very important and will be explained later in more detail over the next Chapter or two, methinks...

Hm...I know of a handy image-hosting site...I just need to find it...Then I can show you guys some of my own banners...

I feel reluctant to visit that avatar site now...

Robin being killed doesn't sound fun...

Raven shooting Starfire in the head DEFINITELY doesn't sound like something I want to look at...Oh, no, not the blood. I love blood in movies and the like- at least, where they're supposed to be and such.

As far as guys saying that guys are cute...

Girls comment on other girls being cute all the time, last I checked...Even in Paper Mario 2! Come to think of it, Paper Mario 2 has more 'sexual incinuations' than any Mario game I've ever played before, that's for sure. Plenty of flirting, all right- even people hitting on Mario. :p I love that game thus far...It has deterred me from writing these past few days. You can blame it for me not updating this weekend, I guess- not that I could get on the net, anyway...

Anyway, guys ARE allowed to be able to tell if other guys are attractive to girls, you know. In a way, it's sort of like scoping out 'competition'...

I could explain many reasons why guys find certain qualities in girls attractive and vice versa- Discovery Channel is a wonderful thing- but this isn't the time for that, now is it?

Speaking of sexual incinuations, here's Chapter 10! By the way- it's frickin' LONG.


<-{--[*<Begin Transmission>*]--}->

Winds of Fate: The X Factor

Chapter 10- Rough Around the Edges

{Their civilization was destroyed...}

The girl was in deep thought and awe as she flipped a tan page over to reveal the opposite side. The edges of the pages of her book were a bit tattered, but in fair condition. Raven was quite intrigued as to how this book felt so old, yet looked relatively well. She had a strange sense about these old tomes- she could FEEL how old they were.

{When I use my powers on an object, I become a part of it, and...it becomes a part of me...}

She could remember that odd conversation she had with Cyborg weeks ago faintly. It was the same type of connection Cyborg had with machines.

{Hm...} She studied another drawing carefully. It portrayed a girl- one of these strange 'echidna' creatures (though they didn't look like echidnas SHE knew of at all). The girl was leaned up against a very large diamond of some sort. Lines were drawn around the gem, as if to portray a radiant glow.

{Whatever was happening to them...This girl stopped it,} Raven realized, gazing at the pictures on the following pages, skipping a large amount of strange text. The large monster that had been attacking this ancient civilization was being...sucked into the large stone...Raven was completely confused, but something had been compelling her to read on. She finally decided that it was a little late. Normally she would stay up and read more, but she had had quite a rough day- physically, mentally, and emotionally.

She then realized that she wasn't even in her bedroom- the book had been so captivating. She was sitting exactly where she had been when Cyborg had left to go to bed- on the couch in the main living room on the top floor and center of the tower.

As she closed her old tome and rubbed her eyes, she was almost frightened as a figure came drifting into the room, looking almost like a gloomy ghost in the darkness.

"...Starfire...?" she mumbled tiredly. "Is that you...?"

"...Mmm..." came a weary hum.

Raven could sense that Starfire was sleepy, and slightly upset about something.

"Where's Robin...?" she asked quietly, floating over toward Star. Her skinny arms were hanging low, and her eyelids were half open. Her elegant dress waved around as she flew along, adding more to her ghost-like appearance.

"Starfire?" Raven tapped her tuckered out friend on the shoulder sharply. "Whhhhat's going on? What took you guys so long?"

Starfire's eyes opened a bit, revealing bags beneath them.

"...We were...delayed..." Starfire went on to explain briefly about how a clown at the carnival had gone berserk and started mutating balloons into monsters. They had taken care of the matter before the rest of the Titans had been contacted.

"Whoa," Raven muttered, feeling sorry. "...That kinda...sucks..."

Starfire nodded, her head tipping to the side slightly. Raven helped ease her through the halls to her bedroom, conversing a little on the way.

"So...How did things go...before the end?"

Starfire rubbed at her eyes and moaned, "I do not know," massaging her forehead warily. "I cannot say...It...is late, I have exhausted myself, and- ...Please forgive me, Raven, but I must save my story for tomorrow. If I do not receive the efficient amount of rest I require, then-" She let loose a huge yawn, stretching her gloved arms out wide. "-...then I will be unable to perform actions of any kind, let alone recite my experiences..."

They had reached her room, and Starfire was flopping herself down on her cushiony bed. Raven was expecting her to at least take her shoes off, but she was too sleepy to do so, it seemed. Chuckling, Raven slipped the shiny red heels off of her sore feet and tossed them to the side of the bed. Her mouth agape, Star was already diving into slumber, letting out a gentle snore as she did so. Raven almost had trouble restraining her snickers as she slid a puffy pillow under Starfire's head.

"Quite a night, huh?" she mumbled, shaking her head lightly. She realized just how funny this really was- a month ago she could care less about such a sight. But tonight, it made her laugh. {I guess I'm changing more than I thought.}

Seeing that her friend would sleep just fine- like a log- Raven exited the room, proceeding toward her own place. She didn't notice the darkened figure walking behind her, though, until he called out.

"...Raven?"

Raven's heart skipped a beat as she spun around, relieved to see it was only Robin, who was still in his tuxedo.

"Oh, Robin, uh...Did things go well?" she muttered slowly.

Robin sighed as he paced toward her, shrugging.

"I guess...Wh...What were you doing?" he asked her, completely baffled.

"I, eh...I was just making sure she got to her BED all right, she seemed really tired, so...-"

Robin finally got to where she was standing in the black hallways, and gave her a perplexed expression.

"Umm...If you say so...If ya don't mind...-" he trailed off, rounding the corner to his room, which was down the hall a piece.

"Well, good night, then," Raven called back, just as confused as he was.

{What's up with Robin?} Raven pondered as she opened her door, watching it close. {Something must have happened, and I don't think it had to do with a clown...}

-

"SAY WHAT?!" Beastboy shrieked, utterly shocked.

Mario nodded slightly, smirking, as Robin's comment sunk in. He was leaned up against the wall of the gym, lifting a small weight with his right arm.

Cyborg, who had been bench-pressing, had accidentally dropped his weight. He would've been out of breath if his body weren't made of titanium.

"Seriously?" he wheezed out.

Robin, who was focusing on a big punching bag, nodded solemnly. After giving it a swift spin-kick, he answered verbally, "She did..."

"...Starfire...? Frenching...?" Beastboy murmured in complete surprise.

"Tell me about it," Cyborg moaned, ripping his heavy weights off of him. "That just don't sound right, Rob..."

"I KNOW, Cyborg...That's why I was confused..." Robin proceeded to give the tough, orange sack a flurry of kung fu chops.

"Dude, I knew Star liked you and everything, but...FRENCHING...?" Beastboy's voice cracked, his eyes wide.

"She said on her home planet that it doesn't mean the same thing it means here," Robin explained, trying to settle his friends down.

"...Psh, yea, that's what she'll TELL you," Beastboy told him with suspicion. "Starfire's not stupid, Robin. She knows what she's doing."

Robin took a deep breath as he nailed the bag with his fists.

"I KNOW, Beastboy," he grumbled through clenched teeth. "But Starfire doesn't LIE, either..."

Beastboy was caught on that one. "Oh...Right. Yea, forgot about that part..." he mumbled meekly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"So...How good was she?"

After a moment of silence, everyone in the room slowly creaked their heads to stare at Mario's sly and humorous smile. It was a bit hard to tell whether his question was serious or not.

But either way, the answer became obvious as Robin's cheeks flushed as red as Mario's hat. Cyborg started to chuckle heartily, and Beastboy elbowed Robin with congratulations.

"Hehe...What's up, Rob? Cat got your tongue?" He quickly morphed into a Jaguar, growled, and switched back to normal.

"...Guh...It was...interesting," Robin squeaked, coughing.

"Haha...Boo yah, baby," Cyborg laughed. "Rob got the goods, huh?"

Robin was slowly inching his way out of the room.

"HEY! Who's hungry for breakfast?" he asked loudly in a desperate attempt to drop the subject.

"Shall we continue our torturing later?" Beastboy asked his comrades devilishly.

"Oh, let's," Mario replied with the same evil tone.

/)=(

"REAL eggs!!"

"Tofu eggs!!"

As Sonic and Beastboy were at each other's throats, Tikal sighed in the background, shaking her head slowly. She was leaned up against the counter next to the fridge, and didn't even notice Tenochtitlan pour her a glass of orange juice.

"Oh!...Thank you," she said politely.

"No problem," Tay replied contently. She watched the quarrel go on as the two kept shouting and shoving each other.

"...Should we stop them...?" Tikal asked nervously. Tenoch giggled as she sipped some citrus liquid.

"I dunno. They're really cute when they're mad, don't ya think?"

"Oh, yes, VERY," Raven answered with some humor as she poured herself some tea from the pot that had been brewing nearby.

"Oh, Ray," Tay muttered, giving her a light push in the arm. "Do you want us to get Link in the fight, too? Maybe then you'll be happy..." She ended her sentence with a teasing finger wave.

The orange juice in her glass was blackened just before it exploded vertically, splattering on the ceiling.

"...Sorry," Raven mumbled embarrassedly after a moment of silence, reaching for some paper towels and flying to the ceiling to clean it off. BB and Sonic were still going at it, while Cyborg had jumped in to cast his vote for bacon.

"...I was just kidding, Ray," Tay mumbled. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's all right, Tenochtitlan," Raven assured her shyly. "I guess there's no point in trying to hide it..."

"You like Link?" Tikal guessed, though it wasn't quite a guess. She was trying to be polite, at least, instead of embarrassing the girl further.

"...You could say that," she slowly murmured with pink cheeks.

"Why don't ya ask him out on a date, then?" Tay whispered, elbowing her. Raven shook her head quickly, not glancing at her friend's orange eyes. "Or at least spend some time with him..."

"I-I can't," she grumbled. "I just can't see us dating..."

Tikal shrugged, as she could understand how that felt. She once felt that way about Sonic. Why that was she couldn't quite remember, but as she glanced at him, she knew what was linked to it. Sonic's arms were tightly wrapped around Beastboy's head, and around his arm was that bracelet of small seashells. That bracelet...A girl had given it to him...He had told her that, but that was as far as he'd spoken of the matter...She could feel the presence and the personality, but not the name or the appearance of this girl.

"You'll never know until you ASK," Tay slyly told her. Raven's expression winced briefly.

"I KNOW. I don't WANT to ask..." she groaned between grit teeth. "At least not yet...I'm not ready..."

Tenochtitlan smiled warmly and gave Raven's head a friendly pat.

"That's OK. Don't rush yourself." She had yellow eyes now, and was rubbing Raven's shoulder calmly. "You're too tense, you need to lighten up a bit."

"I've been trying," Raven admitted, sipping her tea.

Tenochtitlan noticed the black spot on her arm, about as big as it had been the morning before. She couldn't help but reach out and try to touch it. Raven flinched a little as she did so, and the girl removed her hands immediately.

"I'm sorry," she spat out quickly, her color purple now. "Does that hurt?"

Raven glanced at it to note its size, and muttered, "Nnnot really."

Tay slowly moved her hand toward it again, glancing up to Raven for approval. Raven nodded slightly and held her arm out. Perplexed with brown eyes, Tenochtitlan rubbed her friend's smooth black skin. It felt like it should, at least. It felt perfectly fine.

"It's internal?" she wondered aloud. Raven shrugged.

"Not sure," she mumbled. "Whatever it is, I hope it stops soon..."

They let out a cry of surprise as Sonic's body came whizzing by them. He crashed into the sink, causing a clanky rumble. Beastboy, in gorilla form, pounded his chest wildly, grunting. No sooner had he shown off had Cyborg lunged at him, battering the boy's thick skull with his big fists. Raven was left with her tea splattered all over her, once again. {Another $50,} she growled mentally.

"...I suddenly lost my appetite," Raven groaned dully. "I'll see you girls later..."

"Bye." "See ya."

The frowning girl hurried from the room, seeking shelter from their pointless chaos. She headed for her room, eager to dive back into her book. She'd eat later on, when all the kiddies were done playing.

(!)(!)

As a slightly upset-looking Starfire had drifted into the kitchen, her arms drooping, the boys were still wrestling each other. Tay and Tikal had given up on trying to stop them. It had gotten to the point where now they were just sparring for the heck of it- and the kitchen just happened to where they were at the time.

Starfire attempted to avoid getting caught in the crossfire, but when she headed for the cupboard to retrieve some food, Beastboy came slamming into her, knocking her head into the wooden doors. She frowned bitterly as she lay on the floor, her head jammed into a pile of cereal boxes. Popping herself out and shaking her hair back behind her head, she fiercely grabbed a box of 'Syrupy Sugary Cubes' and slammed it on the countertop.

"Why must breakfast constantly be converted into a foolish game?" she grumbled. "You three act as if you have been infected with the oomple bobs!"

Everyone in the room had no idea what she was talking about, but based on her touchy demeanor, no one dared to ask. "You quarrel is as if the Gragglorians have declared war upon Javveb Six..."

She paused and glanced at their perplexed faces dully.

"Perhaps there is a satisfactory explanation behind such behavior?" she asked with a snippy voice. There was about three seconds of uncomfortable silence.

"...Tofu sucks," Cyborg answered, trying to lighten the room up. Beastboy even cracked a smile, but Star didn't. She simply let out one of her high 'Hmph!''s and got a cup out, pouring the brown chunks of 'Syrupy Sugary Cubes' into it.

"Something wrong, Star?" Beastboy inquired fearfully.

One of Starfire's short red brows raised, and she spoke with a fake cheerfulness.

"What would lead you to hypothesize such a notion?" She was dumping milk into her large cup of cereal, now. "I simply do not appreciate such behavior in an area designed for consuming rations..." She slammed the fridge door shut after putting the milk back in it. She loved milk; it was one of her favorite drinks. Mustard was included on that list, of course. She proceeded to rant at them in the same snippy tone as she had before.

"Why argue over what you will dine upon when you all can simply concoct your own meals? Such a thought must require too much brain activity, and you have insufficient-"

Cutting into her sarcastic speech was Robin, who came trudging into the room tiredly. As Starfire noticed his presence, she let out a short shriek and whipped open a cabinet door, hiding herself from his gaze. When Robin found out that Starfire was in the room, he did the same- but with the refrigerator door. He snatched an orange and quickly closed the door, sneaking out of the room as quickly and quietly as he could.

Starfire acknowledged his leave. Biting her lip, she drew the cupboard shut, sighing.

"Uhhhh...Star...?" Beastboy poked, breaking the strange silence. He tried again to uncover the mystery. "...What's up...?"

Starfire gave him a despondent glance before drinking from her tall cup of cereal. After crunching the food within it, she grumbled, "Nothing is 'up.' Quite the contrary..."

Before she knew it, Tay was behind her, stroking her shiny, smooth hair warmly.

"Care to talk about it...?" she asked sympathetically.

Starfire whimpered, and whispered, "I do not wish to place any burden upon you...It is my own difficulty, I must overcome it."

"STAR," Tay moaned, shoving her somewhat. "You won't be putting anything on us, all right? Don't you know you can talk about stuff with us?"

"Yea!" Beastboy agreed, walking to her side. "We're all here for ya."

"He's right, yo," Cyborg agreed.

"Of course," came Tikal.

"You bet," Sonic added with smirk.

Starfire was fidgeting with her hair nervously, blushing.

"I-...Perhaps...Mmm...Later," she finally spat out with a sigh. "I do not wish to converse so candidly about such matters at this time..." She gulped another mouthful of cereal as she began to exit the room. "Forgive me, friends. I will see you later..."

The others gazed in confused silence as Star exited the room in a rush.

"...Dude, something happened last night with those two," Beastboy announced bluntly.

"NAW, ya think?" Cyborg groaned. "They're both only actin' weird as all get out..."

Tenochtitlan eyed Beastboy carefully before murmuring, "What do you know about this?"

Beastboy flashed a nervous grin as he recalled the morning's conversation he'd had with Robin and the guys.

Suddenly, his face became pale and horrified as he remembered the major detail of it all- at least, to him, it was the major detail.

"...Starfire...FRENCHING...???" he whispered to himself to awe.

Cyborg shook his head and smacked his face.

"...What?" Tay mumbled, her purple eyes wide.

"Starfire got a little...touchy-feely with Rob last night. You know how she can be, just imagine it on a warm, fuzzy level," Cyborg explained. "If ya don't know how much that girl likes him, yo crazy," he added.

"But STILL," Beastboy squeaked. "She French-kissed him on the first date..." He almost fell over, but Tay caught his skinny body.

"...Hit third base at the crack of the bat, huh?" Sonic chuckled to himself. "Didn't know she had it in her..."

Tikal frowned and smacked his shoulder. "Sonic, don't talk about it like THAT," she scolded.

"What? I was just kidding," he grumbled back at her defensively.

"Yo!" Cyborg cried, shutting them all up. "I don't think it's really any o' our business what they DID, all right? What matters is that they're actin' messed up."

"Starfire probably made Robin feel awkward," Tenochtitlan guessed. "She seems to have a habit of doing that to people..." She felt a little sad for her Tamaranian friend.

"'Sides, Robin's not quite a lady's man, anyways," Beastboy said sneakily, lifting his brows.

"Whatever," Cyborg growled. "My point is that they're bein' weird, and we need to help fix it."

"That sounds like a good idea," Tikal admitted, nodding. Sonic, who had carefully snuck around the kitchen as this conversation unfolded, was getting a pan ready to scramble eggs. REAL eggs.

/=-=

The golden canyon was trembling as they dashed across its sandy surfaces. They had been alerted when small earthquakes began to pop up outside the city to the west. Whatever it was, it wasn't natural, and it was headed right toward them. Cyborg, Beastboy, Link, and Tenochtitlan had immediately jumped in the T-car, while Robin had hopped in his slick R-Cycle. Raven and Starfire soared with Tikal through the air speedily, and Sonic ran below them, alongside the two vehicles. Mario, however, was making large bounds in the distance. The leaps he made were long enough and fast enough to keep up with his comrades.

Raven had attempted to squeeze some info out of Starfire, but Star had dropped the subject immediately, saying that now was not the time for gossiping.

"You WILL tell me later, then," Raven checked.

Starfire's emerald eyes quickly examined Raven's seriousness.

"...Of course, Raven," she murmured solemnly.

Meanwhile, in the T-Car, Link was getting car sick, and Tay was hanging her head out of the window, letting her black braids of hair flow wildly. She giggled as Beastboy did the same in front of her, as he was sitting a seat ahead. He stuck out his tongue, however, and let the saliva that flung off splash his girlfriend in the face. She laughed in a giddy fashion as she wiped it off with her bare arm.

"Don't be gettin' any slobber on my baby," Cyborg snapped quickly. "Me and Ray spent a long time fixin' her up..."

Bursting into their car was Robin voice from the radio. The whirring of his cycle roared in the background as he told them the plan.

"I've found our target- three giant scorpions. Everyone in the T-Car, take out the one on the left. Everyone else, destroy the one on the right. I'll start on the middle one, so back me up when you're done. Titans, let's move!"

"Gotcha Rob," Cyborg replied. He grinned as he veered off to the left, and the car rocked from the rough terrain. "You heard the man- let's roll!"

The deep gash in the earth below them that formed a canyon gradually shrunk as they sped away from it, and a thirty-foot black metal scorpion was getting bigger.

"Hang tight, y'all!" the bionic teen shouted as he carefully approached their enemy. He teased it as he whizzed right by it, and it took a swipe with its right claw, only to miss. With a whooping yell, Cyborg slammed the wheel to the left, sending the car spinning ninety degrees and bumping over a boulder. It skidded to a stop, and all four of them barged out of their vehicle, prepared for battle.

Beastboy's body metamorphosized into a pterodactyl, and Tenochtitlan pounced onto his back with great agility. As the duo rose into the sky, Tay readied her strong, wooden staff, her eyes glowing red.

Cyborg pounded his feet into the ground as he stuck out his right arm, charging his cannon. With great precision, he nailed the creature's face about three times, stunning it some. As it recovered, it crawled back a little, stiffening its long tail. The giant spike on the end looked very unfriendly, and it was about to slam into whatever it could.

Link was running alongside Cyborg, carrying his sword in his left hand and a new toy in his right. Cyborg had helped him develop a very durable shield, which Link certainly knew how to use. It was made of the same material as Cyborg's armor, so it provided good protection. Link had painted a very simple design on it- three yellow triangle arranged in a triangle themselves. The boy was ready to jump into action, and he suggested a strategy.

"I'll take care of his tail, you keep blasting his face!"

Cyborg nodded in reply, and the two split up, dodging in opposite directions. As the segmented metal tail whipped into the ground with great speed, it crushed the dirt to dust, but got caught in the hard ground. As Cyborg gleefully pelted at its face with more blue energy, Link raised his sword up over his head. As he bounded forth, he used the momentum to send his sword slicing through the air vertically, clipping off the tail's tip in one clean sweep. The noise the sword made as it cut through the metal and hit the rocky floor was loud and satisfying.

"My turn!!" Tay screamed with cheer as she twirled her staff with insane speed in her right hand and shot out her left palm. A fierce gust of freezing cold wind- about twenty feet in diameter- blew downward at the foe. Chunks of ice could be heard as they crunched into the black surface of the strange robotic beast. After about ten seconds of this barrage, the creature hardened over in a case of frozen water. It struggled to break free, but Cyborg and Link had already plotted another tactic before it could do so.

"Thanks, Tay!" Cyborg called, waving an arm to the dup above. He was a bit surprised as he accidentally wound up catching a glance of Tenochtitlan's underwear- a sight he never expected to see, for sure. She was wearing a skirt and was flying about thirty feet above him, so it was no surprise. He immediately looked away, wincing.

"NAUGH-TY!!" Tenochtitlan teased, laughing humorously, for she knew what had just happened.

Link was left in the dark, and Beastboy eyed Cyborg with a frown, still in her pterodactyl form.

"What-?"

"Nothin'," Cyborg interrupted Link, aiming his cannon at the monster's head yet again. "You ready?"

"Anytime, anywhere," Link answered coolly, reeling back his left arm. He whipped it forward, sending his blade whirling through the sky, spinning like a buzz saw. Cyborg fired his giant laser at it, which send it even faster. The combination exploded into their enemy's head, shattering it to pieces. as icy chunks of robot rained down, the remains of the machine slowly clattered to the dusty ground, and the ice coating around it cracked off. Strange fluid spilled out of its neck, creating a puddle of black where its head used to be.

"Booyah!" Cyborg jeered, giving Link a high-five. Links blue-hilted blade came wildly twirling downward. It came to an abrupt stop as it hit the ground, making a chink sound as it did so. It landed at a sixty-degree angle, its metal digging a few inches into the dirt.

]-)()(-[

While this was going on, about three hundred yards away, on the other side of the canyon, the rest of the gang was pounding the second scorpion.

Mario, about fifty feet behind it, bent down before launching his body into the air quite fast. As he came whizzing at it like a missile, he flung flames from his palms with great speed, which exploded into the monster's back and tail. Sonic was distracting it with his agility- it would waste its time taking swipes, only to miss. Mario had flipped his body 180 degrees so that as he collided with the foe, his feet came crunching into the back of its head, and he bounced off gracefully, nailing its tail with a swift kick as he did so.

Raven, in the meantime, had scooped up rocks and boulders in the nearby area with her supernatural powers, and was preparing to blow them away like rockets. The stones exploded into the robot's back as Sonic tossed a disc of blue wind energy into its gut. Tikal was hovering before it now, and absorbed all the blows it attempted to land with her barrier. As she brushed her bangs out of her view, she watched Mario come crashing into its head with a mighty stomp, crushing it on impact. He held out his right palm and shot out a steady stream of fire into its 'skull' to continue the damage.

Raven recognized that this beast was done for, but she realized something else, too.

{Where'd Starfire go?}

Off in the canyon, Robin was speeding in his cycle, heading straight for the last scorpion, who was chasing a girl with long, blonde hair. Robin couldn't make out any details at the time- only that she was running from it. He adjusted his steering a little and put the pedal to the metal. He came zipping along and managed to scoop the teenage girl with his right arm as he continued to steer with his left, skillfully zooming around the robotic creature. A few seconds later, when he felt they were at a safe distance, he skidded to a stop, setting the confused young woman on her feet.

"What-...?" she managed to mumble.

"It's all right, we've got ya covered," Robin assured her. "Just hang in tight."

He prepared to speed off, but the girl chased after him.

"What are you doing?!" she cried out. As she jogged his way, she realized that he was going to attempt to destroy the robot. What he didn't know was that she wasn't helpless.

Robin was closing in on his foe, and he withdrew a birdarang from his belt. The scorpion didn't notice his presence, however, as it seemed to be distracted from the front. Robin whipped out his device swiftly, and it whizzed through the air before exploding on the creature's back, doing a bit of damage. Robin slowed his vehicle down considerably as he reached the back of the beast Robin proceeded to whip out his extendable metal bo and make a run for the monster's tail, eager to lop it off.

The girl he had left behind was making ground, though, as she was gliding their way on a small boulder that was shrouded in yellow energy. She shot her fists into the air, and they glowed a beaming gold. The ground began to tremble slightly, and parts of the canyon's upper section began to crumble. Robin noticed this, and he prepared to speed out of the way of the rockslide about to occur. However, as he passed the monster, he noticed something up ahead that he hadn't seen before.

The scorpion was having a fight with Starfire as it tried to claw her and she blasted starbolts at it. Star was caught off guard when she noticed the earthquake going on, leaving her open to attack. A large, black claw clamped itself around her fiercely, stunning her. Gasping for breath from the blow to her gut, Star was too dazed to act. Robin's adrenaline kicked in immediately, and he lashed out his staff like a boomerang. It twirled fiercely through the air before crashing into the metal claw, releasing Starfire from its grasp. She plummeted toward the ground, half conscious, as Robin increased his speed to catch her. Chunks of stone were falling from the canyon's sides now, but Robin was too concerned with saving his friend.

He pressed a blue button quickly, setting his bike on auto drive, and held out his arms desperately. In the millisecond he felt her silky, blood red hair touch his gloves, he felt relieved. However, just as her body landed in his hands, a boulder had fallen to the ground before him, just to his left. He couldn't really see with Starfire's hair whipping at his helmet's visor, and he couldn't switch off auto-drive with her in his hands, anyway.

As a result, his bike rammed into the boulder and veered to the right, heading for a fresh pile of rocks that had smashed into the dirt. As the bike flipped vertically from colliding head-on into another rock, Robin and Starfire were sent careening into the rubble with a crash.

/)-][-(

Her eyelids slowly creaked open, twitching madly as they did so. She couldn't see anything, however, as everything was a blurry mess for a few seconds. Her head was whirling, and she didn't know where she was. Before the Tamaranian realized her location, she felt pain everywhere. Surges of pain shot from all around her body. Her arm, her leg, her wrist...And ESPECIALLY her head. She slowly reached up a hand to rub her aching cranium, but no sooner had she moved it was she paralyzed with a wave of hurting. She sucked in air, her teeth clenched, and grabbed her aching right arm with her left, only to feel that it was in a sling.

But now her nerves had been awakened, and she now knew where she was. She was laying on the couch in the main living room, her head pitched up by a fluffy, velvet pillow. She could feel that something was wrapped around her head, as well. She moved her left arm- which was completely bare, up to her forehead carefully. She went through the messy bangs to feel a bandage wrapped around her head. She moved to the back of her neck to notice that her hair had been lifted when the bandage was put in place, so you could only see it in the front.

With a groan, she managed to sit herself upright briefly. She noticed her legs were bare, as well- the boots had been removed. Another strap of cloth had been tightly squeezed around her left calf, and a red spot could be seen through it. Scratches and bruises covered her legs and arm, and she could feel them all burning. With a whimper, she slowly set herself down again, wishing to go back to sleep and avoid the awful pain. There was no one around at the moment, and Starfire wished there were.

{What has happened to me?} she wondered in confusion, her mind clouded. {How did I sustain such injuries...?}

After some concentration through the numbing headache she was experiencing, she could recall a canyon. Yes, and a robot...Robin...She was going to help him, and...She couldn't really remember much more than that.

"DANG...Were you messed up, or what?"

Starfire's eyes shot open to see Sonic shaking his head down at her. He had that look on his face that showed he was trying to envision the pain first- hand.

"Yes, she was injured quite badly," Tikal murmured from his side sadly. When she noticed that Starfire was awake, she smiled sympathetically. "Are you feeling all right...?"

"I am not sure," Star answered shakily.

"Well, you WILL be all right soon enough," Tenochtitlan answered calmly, straightening out her red hair with care.

"...Forgive me for asking, but...What has happened?" she moaned drearily, squinting her eyes in mid sentence.

"Don't worry about that right now," Tay answered. "Just take it easy, OK, Star?"

"Mmm," Star cringed back, her face contorting from the rush of pain flowing into her head. As she drifted out of consciousness, the people around her conversed about what to do next.

)(

"Is she all right?" his voice solemnly questioned.

"Uh...She's-" Cyborg fumbled a bit. "She's a bit banged up, but-"

"Is she all right??" Robin demanded again with a much firmer tone.

"Yea, Rob, yea," his friend assured, sticking his palms out defensively. "She's just a little messed up, but Ray says she'll be fine."

"Don't worry about Starfire," Raven told Robin calmly. "She's tough- she'll be OK. But you...We need to worry about you first..."

"What? What are you talking about? Go help HER first," Robin commanded, as if it were a given.

Raven began to place her palms around Robin's leg cast.

"Trust me, Robin, she's better off than you are. She's a Tamaranian, so she'll heal quicker than you. Your leg needs some attention right now before it worsens..."

As black orbs shrouded her hands as she prepared to work on Robin's leg, Cyborg decided to check on the others out in the hall to see how they treating this strange girl that had shown up.

"I just sorta hop from here to there. I go where the wind takes me," the blonde girl told them. She was a very thin girl with big purple eyes. Her gold hair flowed down just below her shoulders. She wore a black sweatshirt and yellow shorts, and a pair of goggles was slung around her neck.

"Mm," Link hummed with a nod.

"So how do ya like our digs?" Mario asked her casually.

"Ehhh..." Terra glanced about the hallway. "It's a little...serious. But it's really nice, I'll admit."

"So, uh...Where do YOU live?" Beastboy asked her curiously.

Terra bit her lip and slowly answered. "Well...I told you, I go from place to place...I don't really HAVE a home..."

"Oh," Beastboy mumbled sadly.

Cyborg walked up to the group and stuck his metal hand out. As the girl nervously accepted the handshake, Cyborg asked, "So, little lady, what's your name?"

"I'm Terra. Nice to meet ya. You're Cyborg, aren't you?"

The robo-man grinned and shrugged. "Well, whaddya know? I'm famous."

"I've heard about you guys," Terra pointed out excitedly. "The Teen Titans. You guys rock!"

"Thanks," Beastboy murmured, his cheeks pink as she smiled at him.

"But I heard there were only five of you," she added, confused.

"Ya heard wrong," Mario informed her, scratching his head. "We've been ten for about a couple weeks."

"Really...?" Terra's eyes glowed for a moment with hope. {Does that mean that I might have a home? A REAL home? Not a cave, or a cliff, but a real home...?}

"Oh, yea," Beastboy confirmed.

"You know," Terra piped up suddenly, looking like she would burst. "I've got some powers myself, ya know..."

A sudden scream of agony exploded through the halls as Raven operated on Robin, obviously having induced some type of pain.

"Whoa..." Terra whispered in shock. "Was that your friend...?"

"Don't worry about Rob," Cyborg assured her. "He's a'ight. That accident was pretty nasty, though. Lucky you didn't get caught in there..."

Terra smirked half-heartedly, feeling guilt pound into her.

"Y-y-yea..."

((()))

[Destiny_Smasher]

"Star! What are you doing? Sit down." Tenochtitlan eased Starfire back to the couch's cushion, being very careful not to hurt her.

"But-"

"But nothing!" Tay cut her off with concern. She spoke with her gentle tone, but it displayed her worry powerfully. "You sit here and take it easy, Star." Tenochtitlan's eyes were a violet shade as she spoke, her soft chocolate hand on her friend's shoulder. She crouched down in front of the couch, before Star's head. Sonic and Tikal had left to check on Robin, so Tenochtitlan stayed to care for the Tamaranian.

Starfire whimpered, her emerald eyes glazed. Staring at the ceiling, she murmured, "Robin...What happened to Robin...?" She squinted her eyes shut as the pounding headache she was going through came in full force.

Tenochtitlan sighed as her purple glance moved to the floor.

"You don't remember, do you?" she mumbled.

"I only...-" Star cringed for a moment. "I only remember that I went to help Robin, and...I am worried that perhaps he...-" She sucked in air between her teeth and let out a deep breath. Tay's grip on her shoulder tightened for a moment as she could almost feel the pain herself.

"You and Robin were caught in a rockslide. Robin's doing fine. Don't worry, OK?"

Star's green eyes stared over to Tay's violet ones.

"I AM worried...I must see him..."

Tenochtitlan could feel the desperation in Star's voice and see it in her pleading face.

"You can't right now, Star," she whispered, feeling awful. "I'm sorry, but...You just need to relax, all right? You're in bad shape."

"I do not need to be informed of what pain I am going through," Starfire informed Tenochtitlan firmly. "I believe I am the best judge of my own condition."

Starfire sat up slowly, and Tay eyed her carefully.

"Star..."

Starfire began to drift upward slightly, and Tay was hesitant to grab her for a moment.

"Starfire, you really shouldn't-"

"I do not care," Star spat out with some bitterness, her head throbbing. She was hovering shakily, and it looked like she might collapse any moment. "I wish to see Robin, and...-" She trailed off, overcome with fatigue and pain in a nasty combination. Tenochtitlan had jumped up and reached her arms out to wrap them around her friend. As Starfire gave way, Tay grasped her tightly, trying to be careful, Star's head flopped back over Tay's arms, her blood red hair draping down. Staring at Star's tan chin, Tenochtitlan had some difficulty in setting her down to a laying position. Star moaned here and there, and Tay sat, staring at her agonizing expression.

"...Tay?" Beastboy had come into the large, relatively quite room. "How is she?" he asked slowly.

Tay was sniffling, sitting with her knees to her chin. She couldn't bear to see her friend in such pain.

"Tay..." Beastboy sat next to her and put his skinny arm around her shoulder. "She's gonna be all right..." he tried to assure her, though he was worried himself. The bandages all over her made him feel horrible. She was worse off then Robin was. At least Robin had been wearing some protective gear- like a helmet, for one. Starfire had been left with a big, bloody gash on her head. Fortunately, it was now covered in white cloth, but a dark red spot could be seen.

He tried to come up with something humorous to lighten the mood a bit.

"Whoa," he muttered in realization. "She's wearing as little clothes as you are!"

Tay choked a laugh and elbowed him, still watery-eyed. "Beastboy, it's not funny," she mumbled as her small smile vanished.

"No, seriously, she's almost naked!"

"Beastboy," she scolded with brown eyes, her tone stern. He quickly caught on to it and shut his mouth.

"Sorry..."

"She didn't deserve this," Tay spat out bitterly. "Star didn't deserve this...Neither did Robin...What did they ever do??"

Beastboy was a little taken back by her sudden burst.

"Well, Tay...It's-...Stuff happens, ya know? I mean, you can't expect to fight crime without-" He stopped talking when he saw tears flooding down Tenochtitlan's face, and she pressed her body against his. Beastboy had a gut feeling that this went beyond Robin and Starfire.

"...Why?" she gasped. "They didn't deserve it...They all died...because of ME..." She squeaked at the end, and Beastboy felt her soft hands dig into his shoulders. "All of them...just gone..."

She began to mumble inaudibly as her body trembled, and Beastboy was completely confused. What was she talking about? It seemed that this event reminded her of something from her past somehow or something...

"Tay? Wait...Who's 'them?' C'mon, tell me what you're talking about..." He shook her a little, trying to awaken her from her trauma.

Her eyes peeled open, but she couldn't see since they were full of water.

"I-...They-...I don't KNOW," she whimpered, getting frustrated. "I can't remember, but...I do, sort of, and-..." She drooped her head down again in despair. "I feel like I'm ripped in half," she whispered, her black hair dangling before her face, which was pressed against Beastboy's chest. "I have memories, but...They don't make sense, and I-..." She huffed, letting tears drip into her lap. "I don't remember MYSELF, and it's scary, and-" She broke down, her voice shaking terribly. It was difficult to describe in words.

Beastboy was shocked and upset from this sudden burst of agony. First Star and Robin, now Tay...He rubbed her back slowly, waiting for her to calm down. Over the next five or ten minutes, she seemed to drift out of consciousness and come back.

"You OK now?" Beastboy finally asked her when he noticed she wasn't crying. She blinked up at him with confused, violet eyes.

"Hm?" She lifted her head from his body, rubbing it slowly.

"You, eh...You were just-..." Beastboy lifted a brow, perplexed. "Um...You don't remember," he grumbled in realization.

Tay wiped water from her cheeks, overcome with an awkward feeling.

"...What don't I remember?" she asked.

Before Beastboy could say anything in response, Raven came flying into the room, her cape whipping about. She looked like a shadow that flowed through the air, her expression dire.

As she reached the couch, she hovered over it momentarily, staring at Starfire's bruised body. She had a very sympathetic look about her- one that could never be found on Raven of weeks passed.

"Starfire," she mumbled as she descended, her hands flashing with black energy. "Starfire, can you hear me?" she asked as she drifted in the air just above her best friend.

"Nnnn," Star answered, gradually peeling open her eyes.

Raven sighed of relief as she inspected Starfire's injuries.

"Good...Star, I'm gonna need you to stay with me, all right? Can you do that?"

"...-will try..." she weakly answered.

"That's it. Now..." Her purple eyes scanned across the Tamaranian body as she decided where to start. {Her injuries are serious...But they've improved since we got her here...} Raven knew that this was because her Tamaranian body was in a rush to heal her injuries. Though she was able to do this, it also drained her more than it would a normal human.

Raven pressed her hands against Star's left calf, where a bandage had been wrapped to stop bleeding.

Starfire let out a shrill and quick cry, and Raven winced as she retreated her arms.

"Sorry!" she spat ," Star whimpered, quite awake now.

"...A-all right..."

Beastboy and Tay watched, amazed, as Raven placed her palms back on Starfire's leg. The girl grit her teeth and sucked in air as Raven massaged her flesh, helping to heal the wound.

As Raven 'operated,' Mario came running through the room, holding a red envelope with a paw print printed on it. Grasping his cap with his free hand as he scrambled about, he asked Beastboy and Tenochtitlan (who were exiting the room), "Where are they keepin' Rob?"

"Um...I think he's down in his bedroom," Beastboy muttered.

"Right," Mario thanked, tipping his hat as he bounded through the halls. As usual, they were dimly lit, so Mario didn't notice the new girl that was meandering along. He brushed into her by accident as he rounded a corner, causing her to yelp out in shock.

"Whoa!" She caught her breath when she realized it was Mario. Brushing her blonder hair out of her face, she said, "Oh, hey, Mario."

"Yo, Terra. Like the digs?" he asked her as he scratched his nose.

"Actually, it's pretty cool. REALLY huge. All ten of you guys live in here?" She almost couldn't believe that ten teenagers could GET ALONG in the same room.

"I guess so," Mario said casually, shifting his cap about a little.

"Wow," Terra mumbled. {Wish I had a home like this...}

"Ya know, there's always room for more," Mario added slyly as he stomped off down the halls.

"Mm," Terra hummed to herself thoughtfully. As she paced down the halls, thoughts plagued her.

{Would they really accept me...? No one else has. Everywhere I go, I'm rejected. It's like I'm a walking disaster...} She let out a deep sigh. {If they found out it was ME who caused that rockslide...I didn't MEAN to hurt them, but what would THEY care, anyway? I can't undo it now. They're super heroes...I have a 'super power'...But I can't CONTROL it. What if they find out?}

Terra felt guilt from her past and loneliness tugging at her, so she tried to hide her feelings away as she came to the living room where the strange red-head had been placed.

The odd ghost girl was standing over her bandaged body. As Terra walked over, she immediately asked, "She's OK, right? I mean...Is it really serious, or-"

"She'll be fine," the pale-skinned girl dully spat. "She's in a lot of pain, and she's not going to be able to do much for a few days, but she's going to be all right."

{She just had to go and help Robin, didn't she?} Raven pondered to herself. {She seemed kind of angry this morning, though, and she was avoiding him...Hm...}

"Sooo...She's fine. Whew. Good," Terra quickly mumbled, taking a deep sigh of relief.

The girl moved a loose strand of silver-blue hair from her forehead and stared at Terra suspiciously.

"What were you doing out in that canyon, anyway? And why were those machines chasing you?"

Terra's big eyes couldn't stand the piercing glare of Raven. Clearly, she was upset about her friends being hurt.

"I was crashing in a cave up there," Terra mumbled. "But I don't know what was with the big bugs."

Raven let out a small huff through her nose, glancing back over to a sleeping Starfire.

"...Why were you sleeping in a cave?" she interrogated further. "Don't you have a home?"

Terra didn't reply and wouldn't look up to Raven, her expression full of shame.

"...Oh," Raven murmured, feeling shame herself. "...I...didn't know. Sorry. I'm just concerned about my friends here..."

"No, I understand," Terra muttered. "I'm really sorry."

"It's not your fault," Raven mumbled back to her, placing a hand on Starfire's forehead as she tenderly sifted her fingers through her bangs.

Terra's guilt flash-flooded back to her, and she didn't want to be reminded of it.

"Yea...Well...I, uh...I'll see ya later...Raven, was it?"

"Yea." Raven's purple eyes looked up to her. "What's your name, anyway?"

"Oh, right. Terra. Yea, that's me."

"Nice to meet you, Terra."

"Pleasure's all mine."

Terra was half out of the room at this point, desperate to avoid further conversation. This Raven girl seemed kind of creepy. Yet at the same time she seemed like a good person.

In her hurry to rush out, she nearly bumped into Beastboy.

"Geez, watch it, girl!" Beastboy laughed as she stumbled around him haphazardly.

"Sorry!" Terra cried out, embarrassed. "You're Beastboy, aren't you?" Her cheeks remained slightly pink as they spoke.

"Yep. That's me- the big BB," he announced with a mock arrogance and his classic sly grin, causing Terra to snicker.

"A little full of yourself, aren't you?" she asked.

"He's ALWAYS like that," came the sweet voice of Tenochtitlan who came from behind, strangling him in a hug from behind. Terra immediately caught on to the fact that they were a couple, and felt awkward in their 'cuddly' presence.

"Oh...Uh, so what's your name?"

"I'm Tenochtitlan!" she chirped merrily. "You're this Terra girl I've heard about, aren't you?"

"That would be me," Terra answered weakly. somebody show me to the bathroom or something?"

"OH! Sure! I'd be glad to!" Tay squealed. "I'll be back, B," she said, leaning over him. "Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna go check on Rob, so..."

"All right! I'll meet ya there, my little monster!" She pinched his ear playfully as she went off, her eyes pink and giddy.

As Beastboy rubbed his face, he muttered to himself, "Maybe I'm a monster, but I'm a LUCKY monster."

==

"What?? Really? Where was it?"

Mario handed it to Robin, who was laying in his bed. His broken leg was in a sling and propped on some pillows, while he had a few bandages on his bare arms. Compared to Starfire, he'd made it out well. As he ripped it open, Mario explained.

"Yea, it was just sitting in the fridge when we got back. Weird place for it."

"Yea," Robin murmured, focusing on the document.

{Dear Titans,

How's the new girl doing? She's not as normal as you may think. So sorry about the accident there, by the way. I hope all is well.

But enough formalities. This letter has been sent to notify you about a meeting. I wish to come face-to-face with the Teen Titans later this week. I know this may be inconvenient, but it is imperative that you come- all of you.

I believe that I may hold the answers to some of your questions. I will inform you as to the whereabouts of our meeting point at a later date.

In the meanwhile, make sure that Star and Robin get plenty of rest- even if it means pinning Robin down to his bed.

An old face will re-emerge tomorrow night, so be prepared.

The shadows are growing, Titans. Be ready for them, for within ten days one of your ranks will fall like a meteor from the heavens, crashing down to the planet...They shall be engulfed by the darkness. The Light will come from an unexpected source- the Darkness. Do what your Light tells you, and I'm sure you'll come out OK...

Oh, and Robin...I saw you and Starfire last night. Very cute.

How was she, by the way?

Destiny Smasher}

Mario noticed that Robin's face had grown beet red, and the expression looked VERY familiar. Robin folded the note up and slipped it into a drawer in his marble nightstand.

"...Sooo...Anything important?"

Robin was scratching his chin thoughtfully.

"He wants to meet us in a few days," Robin mumbled. "He knows something we don't, apparently. If you ask me, I'd say this 'Destiny Smasher' is a pretty suspicious character..."

-/-

"Thanks, it's been real great. You guys have been cool to me, but I really need to-"

"Aw, no," Cyborg interrupted her as she began to head for the main door. "Where do you think you're goin'?" he asked slyly.

Terra gave him a blank expression.

"Yea..." Cyborg murmured. "Listen, Terra. You CAN stay the night and all that. It's not like we don't have room or anything..."

"...Really?" Terra responded quietly, surprised. "You...want me to stay longer?"

"Of course we do!" Tenochtitlan cried. "Why wouldn't we? We barely know you."

"'Sides," Beastboy put in, "You don't have anyplace better to go right now, do ya?"

"One more day, huh?" Sonic suggested. "Just one. Then, if you really want to go, ya can."

Tikal gave her a sympathetic smile as she glanced around the room from one Titan to the next.

"Terra, you need a home. There's always room for more here, you know."

"One big happy family," Link mumbled, rolling his eyes. "Big, anyway."

Terra showed uncertainty, but how could she refuse? It had been some time since someone had wanted her to stay. Usually it was that they wanted her to LEAVE.

"...I guess it couldn't hurt to stay here another day," Terra said shyly with a shrug.

Some cheers rang out from the Titans as Terra agreed to their terms.

"So tomorrow are you going to show us what you're made of, rock girl?" Link asked her, jabbing her side with an elbow. Terra got a little worried for a moment. She'd helped to take down the scorpion after her accident, so the Titans knew about her powers- they just didn't know that it was her who'd caused the rockslide.

"Oh, yea...You bet," she mumbled sheepishly.

/=--=

"I am fine, Raven," Star tried to assure her friend. "There is nothing more you can do at this time. I thank you dearly, but-...Please, I am fine..."

Raven kept her hands to herself at that point, feeling embarrassed.

"You're sure, Star? You don't look so good, and-"

"I do not FEEL so good," Star agreed in a moan, rubbing her bandaged forehead. "But I will manage, and I will be in fit shape soon enough, thanks to your efforts." Her emerald eyes glowed with appreciation at her friend.

"No problem."

They were in Starfire's bedroom now, and it was evening by now. Starfire had been seated onto her round, cushy bed, which rested in the middle of her colorful, warm room. Her body was still covered in dressings, though they had been changed during the day, and her wounds had been cleaned again. She didn't look so bad now, but she certainly didn't look very great, either. She was sitting up on the side of her bed at the time, her aching legs dangling over the sides. Her bare toes were tickled by her soft, red carpet, and her broken arm was propped up by a puffy velvet pillow in the shape of a magenta heart in her lap. Star had been told to try to make sure she kept her arm up so that the blood didn't all rush to it- which would result in a lot of pain.

Her body trembled somewhat, and Raven guessed this was because she was chilled.

She took a folded quilt of pink and red squares from the foot of Star's bed and used her powers to shroud it in shadow, snuggly wrapping it around Starfire's shoulders. Star smiled weakly, grateful.

"Better?" Raven checked as she floated before her best friend, legs crossed. She looked like the stereotypic monk in meditation- though she wasn't meditating. Ever since she'd started being more free about her feelings, she found herself with more time to do things besides meditating, and she loved it.

"Very sufficient," Star replied slowly, another twinge of hurt hitting her head.

"So, uh...Do you want me to leave, or-?"

"No, dear friend," Star spurt out quickly. "I do not wish to be alone..."

"Good," Raven answered with a smile. "Neither do I."

"I, um-...You wanted to know about my date with Robin, did you not?"

"Oh!" Her eyes bulged in realization. "Yea, I'm really curious."

Starfire beamed with joy as she begun to recite the events of the evening. From the restaurant, to them holding hands, to the Ferris wheel. And as she got nearer to the end, she got more detailed.

"And so...I leaned my body toward his...And I parted my lips, and...-" She paused, caught in a trance. Raven stared at her, wide-eyed, on the edge of her seat.

"And...-? And what?" Raven whispered with excitement. "Did you kiss? You did, didn't you?" she concluded in a sneaky tone.

Starfire closed her eyes slowly, humming in response. She traveled back in time to that moment, captured by its heavenly touch.

Raven let out a gleeful grin and rubbed Starfire's shoulder in encouragement.

"That's great, Starfire! Good for you. I knew it was only a matter of time..."

Starfire's eyes jolted open, breaking her smile. Raven's eyes were big and joyful, but Star's expression drastically shifted to one of worry as memories flooded back. Her head began to ache some more on top of it, so she squinted her eyes shut as she bared the pain for a moment or two.

"Are you OK?" Raven made sure. Star sighed slowly, nodding.

"...Our lips touched...We exchanged breaths..." she whispered, having recovered. "But...I may have made a mistake..."

Raven lifted a brow, perplexed. What could she have done wrong? She'd done everything right, from what Raven could gather.

"You see," Starfire mumbled, looking at her tan feet. "I-...We-..." She let it come out quickly in a burst of words. "I touched my tongue to his."

Raven froze a moment, absorbing the thought. Starfire glanced away, her cheeks flushing as red as her hair.

"...Whoa..." the Goth girl murmured. "...W-wait...You did WHAT?"

"...We touched tongues," Star whimpered with shame.

Raven's eyes were still wide, but in a completely different way- shock.

"...Starfire, that-...Well, I don't think that's natural for a first-"

"I understand that NOW," Starfire snapped in frustration. "I still have the expression on Robin's face imprinted into my mind's eye. He was clearly not comfortable with my actions...I regret them now..." She let out a huff, feeling exhausted just thinking about it.

"Starfire," Raven began solemnly. "Why did you do it?"

Starfire but her lip and explained quickly. "I did not know such actions implied strong thoughts of sexual orientation in this culture. On Tamaran, such a display of affection is very powerful, but it is interpreted in a different manner- a very emotional one. Touching tongues conveys feelings of passion toward your partner...It is meant to send the message that you will always be there for that person, and that you love them in a romantic fashion, and-..."

She slowed down, feeling like a complete idiot. Raven weakly smiled, finding it all a little comical. It wasn't THAT big of a deal, she supposed. It certainly could've gone worse, and Raven had a feeling that Robin enjoyed it to some extent.

"You told Robin all this, right?"

"Of COURSE I did!" Star insisted in exasperation.

"Good." Raven waited until Starfire's brilliant green eyes met her own to go on. "Starfire, you're very...open...And Robin's not. Robin...I'm not sure that he's ready for such a commitment. You probably scared him a little. Is THAT why you two were acting strange this morning?"

"I suppose it is," the Tamaranian admitted sheepishly. "Whenever I think about the matter, I feel as if a parasitic Squabblork has taken dominance over my digestive system..."

"I know what you mean," Raven said with a humorous grin. Raven eerily drifted to Star's side. "Starfire, I don't know what's going to happen between you and Robin...But I'll tell you this much: As long as you stay true to yourself, everything will turn out OK. You taught me that, Star, and it's worked so far. Just make sure you let Robin know how much you care about him. Don't rest until he knows- without a doubt- that you will always be there for him...That is, if that's how you feel..."

"Raven, I do not know what I would do for him," Starfire admitted. "If the conditions arose, it is likely I would give my life..." she whispered in a daze.

"...I have no doubts," Raven muttered. "I think he feels the same way- he just hasn't realized it yet. He's ALWAYS there for you, too. Every time you get hurt, who's there to save you?" She grinned slyly at Starfire. "I don't think that's a coincidence. Give him time to find it in himself. Maybe it's not there, but even if it's not, you two will be friends, won't you?"

"...I will always be Robin's friend," Starfire said with confidence. "I have vowed this to myself." Her beautiful, green eyes were glazed with a strong sense of assurance.

Raven didn't say a word to that, and massaged Star's sore back with her right arm.

"See? There's nothing to worry about. Make sure he knows how you feel..."

{I'm one to talk...I should do the same, too, shouldn't I...?} Raven pondered to herself. {I need to find some way to let all of my friends know how much I appreciate them...If it weren't for them, I'd probably be insane- literally.}

Star contemplated this deeply for a tranquil moment or two.

"Raven," she mumbled. "I love you..."

Raven froze like a statue, confused by her friend's words. But her gut didn't ball up in a knot, and after a second to contemplate it, she knew fully well what Starfire meant.

"NO! No no no, Raven! Please, do not misinterpret me! I did not mean it in THAT fashion..."

Raven sighed deeply of relief. {You sick fool!} she yelled inwardly. {Get your head out of the mud.}

"I love you as a dear friend. I love all of the Titans...Love is a very mysterious word in your world, I have begun to understand. A man loves a woman, a mother loves a son, and a father loves this strange 'football' I've heard about...I may not understand all of these meanings, but...I do know that, to myself, love is a word that is the connection to a powerful emotion of caring. I love all of my friends, and I feel I may love Robin in an even deeper sense..." Starfire trailed her thought off, feeling foolish rambling about it for so long. Raven had to understand her point by now.

"Starfire...You have no idea how much I appreciate your friendship. I want you to know that. You're the most caring person I've ever met, Starfire. I've changed because of you. You've made me who I am, and I'm thankful. I hope you know that I'll be there for you through anything, too."

Starfire's eyes widened with surprise, and it seemed like she didn't believe what Raven had just told her. To confirm it to Starfire, Raven added, "I promise..." Starfire absorbed it for a moment, and her eyes became glazed with joy.

"...So we are best friends," Star concluded.

"...I guess we are," Raven mumbled, pink-faced.

Both girls felt very strange and immature at that moment. For weeks they had slowly grown closer as friends. Now they had finally acknowledged how deep their friendship truly was- there were now no doubts on either side, as there had been before. They were best friends, and a true best friend was not something one lost easily.

The bond between two teenage girls had been forged into a chain of tremendous strength. Time was conspiring with Fate to test this chain and see just how powerful it was.

Starfire's mouth creaked open wide, letting out an exhausted yawn.

"Forgive me," she muttered drowsily. "I have had trouble staying awake today..."

Raven smiled, removing her hand from Star's back.

"I'm not surprised, Star. Your body's rushing to heal your wounds."

"I am aware," Star mumbled. "I am certain I will be in a healthy condition within a few days. But what about Robin?"

"Don't worry. He's fine. It'll take him a little longer than you, but...I helped speed up the process, otherwise he wouldn't be able to walk right for months."

"Mm," Star hummed, her eyelids drooping.

Raven positioned Starfire's body onto her bed so that she was lying down. Her head was on a nice, big, pillow, while her broken arm remained over her body's level on another pillow. A few moans came out from Star as she struggled to stay awake.

"Take things easy tomorrow, Star, and get plenty of rest," Raven mumbled, unsure as to whether or not she actually heard her.

Raven neatly set the soft quilt over her friend as she admired her sleeping face. She looked so innocent. Raven knew that Starfire was not perfect, of course, but she did a very good job of keeping her dark side at bay. It was thanks to her that Raven was starting to control her own.

"Good night, Starfire," she whispered as she floated out of the room like a majestic spirit, switching the lights off with her mind.

///|||\\\

[Destiny_Smasher]

The moon's light was strong enough to illuminate her bright, blonde hair as she sat on the island's edge, gazing off toward the ocean.

Link simply stood behind her, absorbing the atmosphere. It was about one in the morning, though Link wasn't aware to this fact. He finally decided to strike up a conversation with the mysterious girl as she skipped stones over the lake. She didn't even have to move, as she used her powers to control the rocks. A pebble would levitate beside her, then launch forth with great speed as her eyes flashed gold.

"Didn't like the couch?" Link mumbled as he took a seat on the cold stones beside her.

"Oh, Link," she murmured. "...Nah, I just can't get to sleep."

"...Nervous?" Link probed.

"Actually, yea," Terra admitted slowly.

"Don't be," Link assured her. "If you've got no home to go to, Terra, I'm telling ya- stay with us. You're more than welcome, I guarantee it."

Terra sighed, looking doubtful.

"I've heard you guys say that a million times now," she grumbled.

"That's because it's TRUE," Link blatantly told her. "What do you have to be nervous about? We're a bunch of misfits as it is, Terra. Mind telling me why you're so damned worried?"

Terra shut her eyes shut in disgrace, and groaned, "Fine. I can't fully control my powers..." She almost winced as she realized what she'd just blurted out. {YOU MORON!} she shouted at herself.

Link blinked at her dully.

"That's it?" he muttered with a shrug. "Psh. That's nothing! You've got nothing to be so worked up about. Practice will change that."

"Link," Terra spat out, glancing up at his stern, blue eyes that glowed in the moon's rays like the waters of the bay itself. "I didn't say anything before, but...It's my fault that your friends got hurt. I tried to help, but I lost control, and-..." She shook her head quickly, looking away. She seemed to be afraid of his reaction.

"Oh...That kinda sucks...But, listen, Terra, everybody makes mistakes. It's OK. My friends will understand. It's not like you WANTED to hurt them, right?"

Terra nodded slowly, staring at the ripples in the bay's waters.

"Just be honest with them. Everything'll be good. Tomorrow's a new day. You be honest with them and explain your situation. I'll bet they'll be more than willing to help you."

"You really think so...?" Terra mumbled.

"You know it," Link responded coolly.

{Wow...Maybe he IS right. It sounds a little too good to be true...}

"All right, Link. I'll see what happens, then," she said in resolution.

"Good. Now, uh...Lemme me see ya skip those rocks again. That's freakin' cool..."

/(')(')/

"How do ya think she's gonna take it?" Cyborg wondered curiously, seeking Sonic's opinion.

Sonic shrugged in his slick way. "Psh. Got me. All I know is that she's gonna have quite the time..."

"Heheh...Booya, baby." Cyborg stuck out his fist, and Sonic rapped it with his own.

They were sitting outside Titan Tower on the bumpy area in the back. Jagged stones ripped through the water's surface, and the terrain was rough to walk on. The wind was blowing steadily, and water sprayed from the shores as waves crashed into them.

"Robin, are you sure you should be here?" Tikal asked him with worry. "What if you hurt yourself?"

Robin was hobbling about using two crutches, having some trouble traversing to a nice, flat area.

"Tikal, I'm good," Robin spat out. "I have to see Terra in action if I'm going to decide how valuable she'll be to the team."

Tikal sighed and shrugged it off. There was no point in telling Robin what was good for him, because he never listened, anyway.

Raven, floating a few feet away, noticed the difficulty Robin was experiencing, so she stuck out her palm and forced him gently over to a smooth boulder, carefully placing him upon it.

"Thanks," Robin muttered, embarrassed. Raven didn't reply, though. She was pondering what was running through his mind. Meanwhile, standing in front of Raven, Link called out to Mario, who was waiting patiently on a small cliff for his opponent to show up.

"Don't go easy on her, man! Make her work hard!"

"You know it!" Mario called back, flashing a thumbs-up.

The Titans were waiting eagerly for Terra to arrive, as it had been arranged that she would spar with Mario for practice to show what she could do.

A sudden rumbling could be heard in the distance as Terra ripped a large chunk of stones from the ground with her powers and hopped on. She flipped her goggles onto her eyes as she drove her rock to speed through the air toward Mario, who grinned, bending his legs slightly. Her blonde hair whipped around haphazardly as she came zipping along, smiling.

Raven yelped in shock as a giant boulder came soaring inches from her face, nearly clipping her nose off. Wide eyed, she caught her breath for a moment and glared at Terra, annoyed.

"She'd better watch what she's doing before someone gets hurt," Raven grumbled between grit teeth.

Everyone else was silent as the battle unfolded before them in a flash.

Terra kept going on, ready to ram straight into Mario. But Mario was prepared, and he hopped up, pulling his legs in. They came into contact with the front of Terra's rock, and he used the built up momentum to propel his body forward as he sprung his legs out. For a second, he was flying ahead of the stone, and he did a back flip into midair as Terra caught up with him. His legs went flying in an uppercut kick, and Terra fell over as she dodged the blow, grasping her rock firmly.

She swung her hand around, causing her ride to change direction. As it slowed to turn, she scramble to her feet and regained balance, getting ready to take the offensive again. She increased speed as she sped toward Mario again, who was running straight at her. Suddenly, she hopped off of her stone, landing shakily on her feet. The rock continued to sail right at Mario's calm face. He bounded toward it and gave it a fierce kick with his left foot, crushing the boulder to shards. The pieces scattered as they went on through the air, eventually falling to the ground.

Mario landed in a crouching position, staring up at her from under his cap's brim. He slowly rose, sticking his right hand out, palm up, and waved his fingers toward him as if to say, {Come and get me- if you can.}

Terra punched her fists up as they glowed gold, and a pillar of earth began to sprout from the ground under Mario's feet. He kept his balance as the tower grew and grew, and when it came to a sudden stop, he noticed the barrage of pebbles that was headed his way. He immediately covered his face with his arms as he skidded down the side of the pillar of rock, kicking up lots of dust and creating lots of friction. Small stones battered at him, but he endured. Just as it looked like he'd crash into the ground, he bounced off of the tower vertically and outstretched his arms forward into a diving pose. Wide-eyed, Terra panicked and pulled up a jagged spike from the ground before her, and Mario went smashing into it fist first. It cracked and crumbled apart, and Terra gazed in surprise as Mario shook his wrists about, grumbling to himself.

Terra took advantage of this free moment to raise herself about twenty feet up on her own cylindrical stone structure. As Mario approached, Terra snapped her fingers, and a bar of rock shot out right at him, jabbing his gut. He groaned as he back up a little, eager to leap on up and knock her off.

Mario leapt onto the bar nimbly, and as Terra blasted out another section of stone, Mario ducked and quickly grabbed it, using it to swing up and land on it. Predicting Terra's next move, Mario held on firmly to the bar after landing and let himself drop forward as another bar jutted out where his head had been. He flipped up using his momentum and jumped to the newest section, flowing his flip into another 360 swing and flying into the air in front of the stone tower. Another section jumped at him as he somersaulted, but it missed and her caught it in the pits of his legs. After hanging upside down for a moment, he climbed up onto it and crouched for a second. Propelling his body into the air with great speed, he kneed Terra in the chin as he shot upward.

Terra stumbled back, dazed, and tripped off of her platform. Everyone gasped in worry, but Terra's eyes glowed gold as she stretched out her arms. Two small rocks rocketed out of the ground and into her palms, and she slowly drifted to safety.

Mario slammed into the dirt before her as her tower crumbled apart into dirt, created a big pile that was slowly dispersed by a gusts of wind as the breeze picked up.

Cheers erupted from the group of spectators, and Terra was amazed at the applause. Mario was clapping his hands, too, and tipped his hat to her.

"Very good," he complimented. "Lots of potential."

The other Titans began top run to her side eagerly, all giving her their words of excitement and anticipation.

Robin made it down to them with some effort after a minute, and her stuck out his hand to hers.

"Congratulations, Terra. I'd say you passed. A little rough in your technique, but that's something some training will fix."

"Really? You think so?"

"Aw, yea, girl!" Cyborg cried, shaking her hand with his large, metal one. "You got skills."

"Way to keep her on her toes, bro," Sonic said to Mario with a nod. Mario shrugged in reply, scratching at his sideburns lazily. His fists had some small bruises on them, but he didn't seem to mind. No pain, no gain.

Link was standing in the background, and Raven was standing beside him. He wasn't paying any attention to her, but she was glancing at him here and there, as if she wanted to start a conversation. Whatever it was she wanted to say, she didn't get to say it, because Link approached Terra and gave her a glare as she exited the crowd and headed for the Tower.

"Go on and tell 'em," he muttered quietly as she brushed by. Terra paused, her eyes filled with doubt.

"I-I don't know. What if-?"

"Tell 'em," Link insisted.

Terra huffed, slapping her gloved hand over her face and rubbing it downward.

"Fine," she groaned.

"What is it?" Raven asked slowly.

Terra's eyes jumped up to her, as she hadn't noticed the girl was there before. {Geez, she's like a ghost,} Terra thought.

"I-..." Terra eyed the entire group as they began to trek back to their home. "Guys," she called out, stretching her arms out wide. "There's something I need to tell you guys..."

"What's up?" Beastboy wondered with curiosity.

"I, uh...Haven't been completely honest..." she mumbled, looking down with embarrassment. {What if they get mad? What if they hate me?}

{Stop doubting yourself, Terra,} Link's mind said.

"What do you mean?" Robin inquired slowly.

Terra's eyes flashed with fear, and she stammered as she spoke.

"W-well, it's j-just that...I...I can't control my powers all the time..."

Terra flinched, waiting for criticism, but none came.

"...So?" Cyborg murmured, shrugging. "You think we're all perfect?"

"All of us have been working on getting better at using our powers for a LONG time, Terra," Raven mumbled in her raspy and gentle voice. "I've still got a way to go myself. It's...nothing to feel bad about..."

"It's not...?" Terra said, stupefied.

"Of course not!" Tay laughed. "Just give it time. You'll get better."

Terra's cheeks turned pink.

"You think so?" she asked with some excitement.

"YES, we think so," Link cried out in exasperation, patting her on the back.

"I'm sorry about you and your friend, Robin," Terra quickly added, looking at his semi-crippled body.

He lifted a brow for a moment, then it clicked.

"That was YOU?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Yea, it was, and I'm REALLY sorry; I didn't mean it, I was trying to help, and-"

"That's amazing," Robin interrupted. "Do you know what kind of potential you have? Imagine what you could pull off if you work hard...And, well, know what you're DOING..."

"...You're...not angry?" she sheepishly said, lifted a brow.

"He's just feeling better now because now he knows that it wasn't HIS mistake," Link whispered to her from her side.

"It's all right," Robin assured her, giving Link a sly glare. "You can't expect to fight crime without getting hurt..."

"But I'm not a criminal," Terra informed him as they paced to their huge front door, up the hill.

"Maybe not, but accidents happen, Terra," Raven assured her. "There's been a couple times when MY powers went out of control..."

"Your mind is FREAKY," Beastboy spurt out, shaking his head. Raven gave him a dull dagger glare.

"Gee, thanks," she grumbled. After turning back to Terra, Raven continued. "I used to have to meditate ALL the time to keep my powers in check. But I've learned how to use them properly over a long period of training, so now I hardly have to meditate at all."

"Hm," was all Terra said to that.

"Just don't worry about it," Robin tried to assure her.

{Wow...} Terra thought to herself as the giant metal doors of Titans Tower opened up. {Link was right. Maybe these guys really ARE different. It's like they already want to be friends with me, even after they know how dangerous I can be...Are they...my friends? Already?} She almost couldn't believe it.

&lt;(-}{}{-)>

After entering the Tower, everyone made a rush for the kitchen, eager to scarf down some lunch. Raven, however, hurried upstairs to check on Starfire.

She had reached a floor below Starfire's bedroom when she found the Tamaranian wandering the halls. She was floating around, of course, as her legs still hurt when she tried to walk. Her eyes were sad and lonely, and Raven felt awful just by looking at them.

"Starfire? What're-"

"EEE!" Star cried in surprise as she spun to her side to see Raven in the shadows. She sighed deeply of relief, and her eyes glowed with joy as she glided to the gothic-dressed girl.

"Raven. Oh, dear friend, I did not know where you went. I awoke and went in search of rations, only to discover that there was no one taking residence within our home!"

"We were just outside watching Terra try show us her powers," Raven explained quickly, inspecting Starfire to make sure it was safe for her to be up and about.

"...Terra...?" Starfire murmured, completely baffled. Raven's expression went blank, and she realized that Starfire had never gotten to MEET Terra, since she'd practically been sleeping for the past day and a half.

"Oh! Wow...You need to meet her, Starfire. She might be staying with us..."

"A new Titan? ANOTHER new friend??" Starfire gasped ecstatically.

"Maybe," Raven replied calmly. "Listen, Star, uh...You should probably go sit down...If you're hungry, I'd be more than glad to-"

"Do not place my burdens upon you, Raven," Starfire insisted, shaking her head. "I am fine. I have consumed a sufficient amount of food and beverage. I merely sought companionship."

"Well, um...I can give you that, too," Raven suggested with a weak smile. "Here, come on." She led Star to her bedroom, which was only a few steps down the hall.

"...What do you wish to talk about? What shall we do?"

Raven pondered a moment. "We can talk about whatever you want. Like...We could plan to go somewhere tonight, if you want. I don't know...You said you wanted to visit the mall downtown."

"Oh, that's a glorious idea," Star exclaimed, shaking her fist before her merrily.

(-/>&lt;-)

Tenochtitlan was sprawled out on her bed, staring up at her ceiling longingly. A small green cat with dark green stripes was curled up on her stomach, purring happily. Her bedroom had a mysterious ambient to it. The ceiling was black with glow-in-the-dark stars, and the walls had trees painted on the walls, making the room look like a jungle horizon at night. She had a bed in the middle of the room that had a green, puffy blanket with leaf patterns on it, and her bamboo nightstand had a palm tree lamp on it. The leaves of the tree acted as the shade.

Only this small lamp was on, so you could only see her bed, really. The rest of the room was dim, since it was sundown.

Tay scratched at the green cat's ears tenderly, and he meowed innocently as he stared at her dark blue eyes. After nimbly hopping off of her and landing on the floor next to the bed, the cat morphed into Beastboy, who sat next to Tay's bed, leaning his elbow on it next to her hip.

"What's up, Tay?" he murmured quietly.

"I don't know," Tenoch mumbled dully.

"It's about that weird dream, isn't it?" BB questioned sadly. "Dude, you freaked out earlier and junk. Crying and everything...Ya scared me, ya know."

Tay glanced down at him, feeling bad.

"I'm sorry," she groaned. "I can't help it. It's like I'm in another world..."

"...Maybe you ARE," BB suggested with a shrug. "Starfire's an alien...Maybe YOU are, too. It wouldn't surprise me. You're having, like, flashbacks or something, right?"

Tay nodded slowly, agreeing. "Yea...That would make sense, wouldn't it?"

Beastboy slowly slid his hand around hers, and she tightened her grip on his in return.

"Doesn't matter, Tay. No matter what, we're gonna be here for you. Or at least I am."

"...I know," she whispered. "I am-"

A blaring alarm rang, and the Titan couple hopped to their feet, knowing that duty called.

"It's go time," Beastboy cried as he and Tay raced through the halls.

(------)

"WH-WHA?!" Terra was stumbling around in a daze, as she'd fallen asleep not too long beforehand.

Link grabbed her arm and dragged her off to where the other Titans were quickly gathering. A large screen and a panel of buttons was spread out before them on the interior wall with a digital map of the city flashed onto it. A red dot was blinking in a particular spot in the northern region.

Robin came wobbling as fast as he could, while Star glided beside him, her body still bandaged, for the most part. Raven, with a sigh, moved Robin over quite quickly in an orb of black energy, causing him to shout in surprise.

"Is it-?" he began eagerly.

"It's him," Cyborg confirmed solemnly, staring at the screen.

"Him?" Terra mumbled.

"Slade," Robin growled. "Looks like he finally decided to show his ugly face around."

"Ya mean his ugly MASK?" Beastboy joked, though no one seemed to find humor in it.

"Slade? Oh, you mean that big jerk you told us about," Tay murmured.

"Mm hm," Raven hummed with a nod. "Slade's bad news." As Robin and Cyborg conversed about the upcoming mission, Raven whispered in Tay's ear. "Between you and me, Robin can get a little...psychotic...when it comes to Slade."

"Oh," she mumbled nervously.

"All right, guys," Robin announced, getting their attention. "Slade's...an old 'friend' of ours, so let's greet him properly. He's got his goons down in a mining facility in the outskirts of the city."

"Why would he go there?" Beastboy wondered.

"A diamond of excellent quality and substantial size was located and is still being held under strict security beneath the surface," Starfire informed them as she inspected a paragraph of text at the bottom left corner of the screen.

"Whatever he plans to do with the diamond isn't good, I'm sure," Robin guessed. "Cyborg, you're in charge," he added to his good friend.

"No prob, Rob," Cy responded. "A'ight, let's roll!"

As the pounding of feet rumbled down the hall, a couple of the Titans remained beside Robin while Star floated down the hall in a bit of a hurry.

"Umm...So what's going on with ME?" Terra mumbled in confusion.

"You can go help out the rest of the team," Robin firmly suggested. "Be careful."

"Gotcha," Terra answered, grinning eagerly.

Raven drifted before the two as Terra scampered away.

"Raven?" Robin muttered.

"I'm surprised you're not trying to come with us," Raven suspiciously noted.

Robin groaned, narrowing his eyes. "You have no idea how much I want to get even with him," he growled.

"I know," she mumbled. "Robin, take good care of Star. And take good care of yourself."

Robin nodded slowly, a little intrigued by Raven's concern.

&qu